End Of Month View ~ May 2011

My May end of month view is from a different part of the garden than I normally feature . I am starting off a border almost from scratch again. The ground cover - a rubus that I allowed himself to plant turned into a monster which swallowed all in its path, so its back to bare earth again apart from a clematis jouiana praecox which resides at one end. Whilst I ponder over a permanent plan for this bed, which is in the only really sunny spot of the garden, I have stuck in some odds and ends. These have been lurking in the cold frame and include some day lilies, a couple of hardy purple leaved geraniums grown from seed, another couple of hardy geraniums, dahlias 'Bishops Children' again grown from seed as well as some penstemons that I took cuttings of last year. There are some verbena bonariensis seedlings waiting on the sidelines until they are big enough to plant. I am also going to plant some allium sphaerocephalon which I planted in pots last autumn. I had intended to transfer the latter from pot to ground yesterday but rain stopped play. This planting will be temporary but will at least give a bit of colour this summer and will be a change from my usual colour palette. Meanwhile there are embroynic plans for more permanent planting - hardy geraniums, osteospernums, alliums, thymes, oereganum and grasses are swirling round in my head. Any other suggestions for sun lovers would be more than welcome. I am rather a shady lady.

The 'End Of Month View' is the idea of The Patient Gardener and is an excellent method of garden recording.

P.S. It is with some disbelief that I report that the fatsia japonica that was lurking in my end of month border has finally been removed. We have replanted it - to say that it is looking sickly is an understatement!

Break Those Damn Rules!

Who made up the rules, and why do we have to follow them?

A friend, and long time pro photographer, looked at my portrait photography last year and the first thing that struck him was that I often didn't use the traditional method of framing single person portrait photographs and mostly used "landscape" instead. It got me to thinking about why we have rules at all in photography. Quite often in our attempts to follow these rules (rule of thirds etc.) we make dull, boring, yawn, the same as all the other, yuck, please shoot me now, looking photos and sometimes when we inadvertantly break the rules the result is quite pleasing, and a breath of fresh air to me.

Maybe we should discard the rules and strike out to make photographs that stir the human soul instead. Can emotion ever have a formula? Heck, I want a photo to move me in some way. It should either make me happy, or sad, or nostalgic, or angry, or any damn thing but impressed with how well the photographer has handled the technical aspect of his mundane subject so well.

I would feel a lot more righteous about all of this if I didn't fall into the same trap myself on such a regular basis... oh well, back to the drawing board.

Déjà vu

Earlier this month I set off for the Malvern Spring Gardening Show with a relatively modest shopping list of five plants. Now why did I come back with only one plant on the list but more than I intended? I realised by mid morning that the contents of my horticultural shopping basket looked rather familiar. I was buying plants that have been in the garden before. Firstly there was the delicate foliage and white buttoned flowers of ranunculus aconitfolius 'Flore Peno'. I much prefer its common name of 'Fair Maids of France'. I had this beauty some time ago but then it fizzled out. The fact that the foliage disappears reasonably quickly after planting did probably not help. I am sure that it has already had a second coming so hopefully this reincarnation might be a case of third time lucky. How many times do you persevere with a must have plant? Maybe it could be a category in 'The Guiness Book of Records'. Then there was Gladiolus communis subsp. byzantinus with its striking magenta spikes. Again I have grown it before only for it to disappear to that giant plant catalogue in the sky. I have also attempted to grow it from bulbs only to be cruelly thwarted by squirrels who stumbled on a gourmet lunch. This time round I received what might be some potentially crucial advice from Avon Bulbs, that they would only sell it to me if I promised to plant it it deeper than it was in the pot. They must have taken one look at me and sensed my track record.

On the herb front a 'Morrocan mint' - yes I know that mints are hard to see the back of and a small angelica archangelica. I have not actually been responsible for the demise of the later (yet). It is growing in statuesque splendour at the allotment just now. It's huge flower heads are covered by bees who seem to settle and doze upon it. However from what I understand that the plant will disappear after it flowers and sets seeds. It may self seed but I thought that I would have a stand by at hand. It can be difficult to transplant as it has a tap root so I ignored the larger specimens for sale in favour of a diddy one. 

Finally on the have been there before scenario another attempt with Brunnera macrophylla 'Looking Glass' as my previous attempt turned out to be an impostor. My fault for not being more observant and for always believing what I read on a plant label. 

Ticked off my shopping list though was tiarella 'Appalachian Trails' which you can see in the above photo. I am still trying to find a nook or cranny for it to fit into. Not only do I like the foliage but it really does have a trailing habit so would look great in a container. In a talk to our garden club  in 2009 Vicky Fox from Plantagogo, indicated that there was some exciting breeding work taking place with tiarellas. I wonder if this is one of the results.

I did buy a couple more new to me plants which I am really pleased about but more of them another day.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

For many, this weekend marks the end of school and the beginning of summer.  It's also the first official work holiday since New Year's.  For me, it's just been nice to be at home with absolutely no plans.   I've spent the past two days working in the yard, cleaning up flower beds, weeding, mulching, trimming, etc.  It's been nice to throw in some grilling and relax time too.   I wish I had some pictures of poppies to share with you for Memorial Day but instead, I'm sharing pictures from my recent visit to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm to enjoy the Tulip Festival in Woodburn, Oregon. 

Strobist DIY Beauty Dish Portrait

Taken with my Strobist DIY Beauty Dish. I fire the Nikon SB600 wirelessly in the Strobist DIY Beauty Dish by raising the D90's onboard flash and using it as the commander. By setting the onboard flash at minimum power it has the added advantage of raising the light in the shadow side of the models face just a slight bit.

This weekend…a giveaway...

My only plan is to finish reading

Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews…and dip in the pool when I get hot

and maybe…

let my toes get sandy.

what is on your agenda?

Mary Kay is generously giving away a signed copy of her yet to be released newest Novel

to a Lime in the Coconut reader

So that you can bury your toes in the sand too! She is generous that way…that Mary Kay

It is a fun and perfect summer read…especially for houseaholics like us. Yeah I'm talking to you.

just leave a comment….and a winner will be picked by Wednesday night June 1st at 11:59 pm.

yep. one minute before midnight...

…and because I have recieved some emails that some of you are having a hard time leaving commentsthank you blogger…you can sign in as anonymous…just leave your name and email in the text of the message.

Happy Reading!

What's Your Poison?

Wish I Were Attending the 2011 Beirut Music & Art Festival!

I'll be posting pictures soon but we are so excited that my daughter Mimi was invited to perform at the Beirut Music & Arts Festival!   She arrived late last night our time, after nearly 24 hours of travel.  After getting a good night's rest, she started rehearsing this afternoon.  Two weeks of incredible music every night.  

P.S.  I'm not proud!

My Genuine German Beer Mug!

My step daughter in London picked this up for me at a boot sale and sent it to me in South Africa. It's simply the best Christmas present ever! It still says W-Germany on the bottom so it must be fairly old, and although used it's still in great condition.

It might just be me, but a beer certainly seems to taste better when I drink it out of this classy mug!

Story Corps Atlanta

Have you shared your story? Tonight I went to hear stories about immigration at the Auburn Avenue Research Library in Atlanta. WOW! I laughed, and cried. I nodded my head in agreement, and shook my head in disbelief. I heard stories of amazing people from more than a dozen countries some documented, and some not, but all who shared their stories of coming to America, and what it has meant to them.

Many thanks to WABE 90.1 fm, Atlanta's Public Radio and The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta for keeping Story Corps Atlanta going through the end of the year.  

If you have a story to tell, make an appointment.

'Here Comes The Sun'

Simply singing out on a sunny sultry day ~ we screeched to a stop to take a snap of these sunflowers one afternoon last summer.

Saunter over to ABC Wednesday now for some savvy posts on the sassy letter S.

Lo and Behold…Our Bath…at Lowe’s!

So I am at our local Lowes Hardware looking at pink paint…see previous post

and grab a mag…as I wait in line and…

There is our bathroom!

In all of it’s handmade glory

The cashier didn’t seem too interested…::::yawn::::

Even my kids were like…hmm…cool. in a totally non excited voice when I showed them…

then kept on watching baseball. priorities. harumph.

Well…I was excited...

.a big thank you to Better Homes and Garden’s Kitchen + Bath makeovers

and Becky…writer/stylist extraordinaire!

Maybe if I go tell Honey the hamster…I’ll find some excitement.

Because that is how this whole thing started…the little bugger escaped… got caught in the

wall from when we were tearing out the other bathroom

travelled all the way in the wall to the other end of the house…where days later we found

him scratching away at the wall. What could we do? But tear out the wall to save the hamster...

and start creating a new bath. no dummie here

No Hamsters were harmed…Honey went on to live a long (ish) happy life.

Check out the mag…especially if you are doing some re-muddling.

I was told our other bathroom remodel where Honey escaped into... will be in the Winter issue.

Lot's of good make-overs in this issue!

Whodunit?

Whilst I am looking forward to another episode of 'Vera' (a television detective series based on the novels of Ann Cleeves and set in Northumberland) tonight there have been rum goings on nearer to home earlier today.

The Scene - in the recesses of my greenhouse.

When? -  between 10.30 am and 2.00pm.

The Crime - some creature unknown has pulled out some of my climbing French beans which had just germinated and left them like amok as you can see in the above photo. 

Who Could Be Doing Time?

• A bird perhaps deciding to have a bit of a nibble - so why did it turn its beak up at such fine fare?

• Mr or Mrs Duck who occasionally venture into the garden. No - they are much too sweet to do anything so dastardly.

• Big Ginge - the cat who treats our garden and its contents as his own. I have seen Ginge in the greenhouse before but I think that he just sees it as somewhere warm and cosy for a nap. Surely he would turn his nose up at my French beans. Besides which both himself and I have a soft spot for this regular visitor and I like to think kindly of him.

• Could it be the rat which I spotted recently which may be taking revenge on me for contacting the pest control officer?

• Top of my short list though is one of the squirrels which are constant pests in the garden. I am also blaming them for chewing off the top of one of my tree lily bulbs. This also happened quite recently. I have never seen a squirrel in the greenhouse but I suppose there's always a first time. I am just hoping that this is a one off incident rather than the start of serial crime.

The Verdict 

There will be murder should I catch the culprit! 

Keep Portland Weird

If you've ever spent any time in Portland, you will understand why you see these bumper stickers - Keep Portland Weird, all around town.   In fact, if you haven't seen it, check out Portlandia on IFC.  Yes, there are incredible gardens - the Rose Garden, Japanese garden, Chinese Garden, Powell's Books, incredible coffee, more microbreweries than any other city in the U.S. (yes, drink more beer), and incredible cuisine (Portland is a foodie city), but there are some things I noticed as being very unique.  

A little yard art

People are friendly and for a big city, this seemed unique to me.  Drivers are polite.  Portlanders read an average of 28 books per year.  It is noticeably not diverse though the people seem to be incredibly open-minded.  You don't have to pump your own gas!!   I think NJ has the same law but honestly there is nothing worse than being dressed for work and having to stop to pump your own gas, only to experience a splash or spill that sends you back home to change.

On a clear night - the balcony view from a highrise

 I also learned about treasure boxes, something I was told was totally unique to Portland.   Everyone has a mailbox but in Portland some people have an extra box called the treasure box.  The idea is to take something or put something in the box.  They are often decorative and expressive.  Here is one I spotted on the first day.  

I was so lucky to be there during their "spring."   It was already 80 degrees in Atlanta in early May so it was great to be able to experience an explosion of blossoms everywhere we went.  

The day that I left I was standing curbside, waiting for the cab to come take me to the airport.  I was crying which is something I don't do very often but I was so sad to leave my daughter.   A car drove past but stopped a few yards beyond, backed up and rolled down his window to ask, "Are you okay?  Is there anything I can do to help?"   What a novel idea...to be kind and helpful to others.   I just can't imagine someone being so thoughtful in Atlanta.  Not that they wouldn't notice.  I just don't think your average person would have expressed concern.

I will be back to share photos from the tulip festival and a few other pictures.   Wishing you a happy week.

Awaken your inner pink…

In your garden…

Happy Sunday!

image: Cote maison.fr

Got space above your kitchen cabinets?

new way to fill it.

better than fake plants…no?

Carry on.

Image: The Selby

The Train Ride - It Wasn't the Nancy Hanks

Have you ever taken the Seattle/Portland train?    In my early years we rode lots of trains and one of my favorite rides was taking the Nancy Hanks from Macon to Atlanta for shopping.  Those days are long gone but my recent trip to Portland did include an incredible round trip from Portland to Seattle.  Please let me share a bit about the ride.

The train ride was one of those times in life that I felt like I was playing a part in a movie.  The characters seemed to come to life before me and each was unique adding dialogue and character throughout the duration of the trip.

You can learn a lot about people by spending time with them on a train   It happened with me and my daughter as we traveled from Seattle to Portland.  After boarding we decided to get a bite to eat and rather than returning to our car, #8, we decided to eat in the diner where there were tables.  It was early evening and since we had a three hour ride ahead of us, I decided to have a glass of wine and my daughter was happy to have a beer.  We noticed two young men at the bar, one appearing to be in his thirties and the other, much younger.  In a matter of moments, two women, both appearing to be in their early thirties, sat at the table beside ours.  The two of them seemed to have just met and I overheard one of the women say that she was a dancer in an "exotic" club.   Out of the blue one of the men at the bar got up and ordered drinks for everyone in the car.  By this time a couple of others had come to the diner car.  My daughter immediately went back to car #8 to get her guitar and start the music.   By this time everyone in the diner began introducing themselves and the entertainment was underway.  Everyone was on their way home to see "mama."   Tom Jones was one of the most unique characters joining in the party.  Tom explained that he is a hermit who left civilization 15 years ago to build a log cabin in the woods with no running water or electricity.  He came out of the woods to go to Seattle to see his son who was graduating from college.   Judging by the length of his ponytail, he was telling the truth.  I'm not so sure that the story about having to use "tear gas" to get his ex-girlfriend out of the cabin was completely true, but nonetheless, he was a character.  The exotic dancer's family came from Kentucky so when my daughter began playing her bluegrass music, it was old home week.  The young man at the bar was sweet Travis.  He'd just turned 21 and at a height of 6'7", he was hard to miss.  He became my protector when Trevor, the older gentleman, got a bit out of line.  Travis was quick to share that he was a "mama's boy" and was ready to defend mama, no matter the consequences.   The last to enter the diner car was Herbie, a real "dapper Dan."  He was dressed in a double-breasted suit with alligator shoes.  He explained to us that he was dressed for the weekend and that his suit would serve him well for partying on Saturday night and again for Sunday services followed by a graveside ceremony for his mom.  No need for a suitcase - he was dressed for the weekend.

All during the train ride Mimi just kept playing.   Each of us had nothing in common but with the music. for just a short while, it seemed, we had everything in common.

It was interesting to read this news story after the ride.  We were asked to refrain from using our cell phones, or to go to areas to talk so as not to disturb other passengers.  I found this story to be very interesting.  Can't wait to share more from my trip!  I'm so behind on reading blogs and I'm looking forward to catching up.

P.S.  I love Portland.  Honestly, it is one amazing city.

You can take my photo...

...but I don't have to be happy about it!

Stewed Apple And Custard

R IS FOR?

RED!
~ as are these ruby hips of rosa rubignosa. This rose was formerly known as rosa eglanteria and is the eglantine in Shakespeare's famous lines from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream"

"I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk - roses and with eglantine."

I have two of these rose plants ~ one of in the garden and one at the allotment. It will be a while before the hips appear ~ the rose has still to flower. However it has been a source of great pleasure in recent days. After weeks of dry and warm weather we finally have had some rain and in mild, damp conditions the leaves of this rose smell like ripe apples, their scent carrying through the air ~ all that's missing is the custard!

N.B. I had a rare senior moment last week regarding the sequence of the alphabet and published this in error in case some of you think that you may have read it before :)  I was just about to post to ABC Wednesday when I realised. I must have a mental block about the letter Q - that's my excuse. Race over to ABC Wednesday now where you can really relish the letter R!

Malvern Spring Gardening Show 2011

Once again the magic of The Malvern Spring Gardening show worked its spell on me ~ my feet may still be aching, my purse is somewhat diminished but my soul is greatly refreshed.  As usual on arrival I made a beeline for the grand floral marquee which was jam packed with colour and fragrance. The psychedelic giant allium you can see above was the stunning centrepiece of the Avon Bulbs stand. Apparently the standard of exhibits in the marquee was so high that a record number of gold medals was awarded by The Royal Horticultural Society.  I spent most of the morning mooching in the marquee, pausing only to make an attempt to find the plant creche, when my hands became full with purchases but decided not to join the queue as I was leaving the showground briefly at lunchtime. Time then catch up with some fellow garden bloggers albeit too briefly, before meeting up with himself in the camper van for a most welcome picnic lunch and a breather.

Back for the afternoon session we initially went in separate directions. I stopped off to see the various  societies which were providing information and advice on a variety of plants and gardening matters. Then it was off to see the show gardens. Like other bloggers I was most taken with the exhibits of the two gold medal winning entries Hannah Genders's 'My Very Local Veg Garden' and  the Graduate Gardeners Ltd 'A Garden For Life'.  I spent more time lingering over the former ~

The garden was created as its title suggests from locally sourced materials and plants and to my mind despite its modern appearance was most reminiscent of cottage gardening, when before the age of mass travel people grew their gardens from what they could lay their hands on near to home. Hence this garden featured a wigwam of French beans, the wigwam made from locally coppiced wood and the beans grown from seed that had been harvested and saved from year to year, over a period of a quarter of a century.

'A Garden For Life' was most striking and original. I would have liked to have spent longer looking at it but the skies were beginning to threaten so my my progress had to gather space accordingly to fit all the other show gardens in ~

The garden featured an A framed building designed for family use. There was an entertainment area for adults and a secret den for children in the upper area. The garden incoporated several 'green' concepts including a solar powered water feature. There was a beehive and a wormery, a fruit and vegetable garden and a mini greenhouse. Ornamental planting included alliums, aquilegias, irises, alchemilla mollis and thalictrum. You can find some excellent photos and detailed descriptions of the garden here, here and here as well as a most comprehensive set of the Graduate Gardeners's own photos posted on flickr. 

I managed to get back under cover in time before the first rainfall of the day which was fortunately short and sweet in duration. Time to rendezvous with himself for a final wonder round the marquee and then into the food hall to find some goodies for our evening meal. What did I take away with me with apart from plant purchases, seeds and beanpoles? Well I am determined to track down one of these ladybird bird feeders  ~

I have been inspired to try out this colour combination which positively zinged out under rapidly darkening skies ~

Not quite so sure though about the inclusion of the stainless steel bread bins.

A peek into the education and schools activities area left me with a smile on my face and a feeling that the future of gardening is in good hands ~

and finally I have concluded that a day at the show is simply not long enough!

I’m kinda loving these handmade baskets on a wall…

west elm

Thank Raphael…who made the ones above, with his own hands.

find more beautiful handwork

at the bootstrap project...here

Ikat beauty in turquoise…

ahhh.

Take two….S’pose you found a pair of chairs…Arrrgh blogger is making me NUTS!

And they were similar {ish} to Milo Baughman

chairs

...and even in this vanilla colored velvet below

Would you cover them in a bright fun color...notice the swatches in the first pic

a la Sally Wheat as Joni of Cote de Texas showed us

Medic!

give me your thoughts…if you’d please…

Ps…said chairs were a whole 7 clams each.

yep.