A promise at sunset that has been rendered moot each morning.
By drizzle and downpour.
Enter August
Insulated
In a brief clearing.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Enter August
Through a break in incessant rains.
A promise at sunset that has been rendered moot each morning.
By drizzle and downpour.
Enter August
Insulated
In a brief clearing.
A promise at sunset that has been rendered moot each morning.
By drizzle and downpour.
Enter August
Insulated
In a brief clearing.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
There It Sits
Taunting Me.
Looking like the sweetest little house in the world, yet stubbornly refusing completion.
After the flunking, the rains came. The plumbing needed to be mulled over for a few days and more reading of the code book done. The new project we had begun working on in anticipation of a passing grade wouldn't work in the rain. The next platform for the stairs was in place to have its upper legs encased in concrete and it rained all day.
The stairs will have to wait for sunnier weather, like what briefly showed up around 7 pm this evening.
The little cabin did try to please me though with this beautiful silhouette on its half painted wall.
Rain of course was a good excuse to get another project started. We did ask and the inspector man consented to letting us insulate all the exterior walls. They are still nit picking on the electrical and have not signed off on the rough inspection for it, but the nit picking items are all visible even with insulation. There has been a different inspector each time and each one has found some different minute electrical nit to pick.
The insulation work began in the loft after a thorough sweeping and vacuuming. There was empty space up there to work in and it was the quickest way to start eliminating the bales of insulation sitting in the single main room of the cabin that doesn't want to be completed.
Fortunately I have the roadside vegetable garden that remains my refuge of pleasure.
A sense of ease, order, productivity and completion comes to me as I putter through this garden. Every meal these days is a reminder of a job well done. The grasshoppers did not deter me. I out planted them.
The second planting of sweet corn is tasseling out. Just maybe the raccoon will be overwhelmed this year too and I will get more than a few meals with sweet corn. I have expected his visit by now. The first planting of corn is near ready. The battle of wills continues.
Looking like the sweetest little house in the world, yet stubbornly refusing completion.
After the flunking, the rains came. The plumbing needed to be mulled over for a few days and more reading of the code book done. The new project we had begun working on in anticipation of a passing grade wouldn't work in the rain. The next platform for the stairs was in place to have its upper legs encased in concrete and it rained all day.
The stairs will have to wait for sunnier weather, like what briefly showed up around 7 pm this evening.
The little cabin did try to please me though with this beautiful silhouette on its half painted wall.
Rain of course was a good excuse to get another project started. We did ask and the inspector man consented to letting us insulate all the exterior walls. They are still nit picking on the electrical and have not signed off on the rough inspection for it, but the nit picking items are all visible even with insulation. There has been a different inspector each time and each one has found some different minute electrical nit to pick.
The insulation work began in the loft after a thorough sweeping and vacuuming. There was empty space up there to work in and it was the quickest way to start eliminating the bales of insulation sitting in the single main room of the cabin that doesn't want to be completed.
Fortunately I have the roadside vegetable garden that remains my refuge of pleasure.
A sense of ease, order, productivity and completion comes to me as I putter through this garden. Every meal these days is a reminder of a job well done. The grasshoppers did not deter me. I out planted them.
The second planting of sweet corn is tasseling out. Just maybe the raccoon will be overwhelmed this year too and I will get more than a few meals with sweet corn. I have expected his visit by now. The first planting of corn is near ready. The battle of wills continues.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
F Is For Flunked
You can use a sanitary T going from the horizontal to the vertical.
You may not use a sanitary T going from the vertical to the horizontal.
Some of the joyous pronouncements from the inspector man.
The plumbing drain lines just plain flunked and must be done over - about from scratch.
Oh and by the way you need a four inch line going into the turdbox even though three inch line is fine for the part that precedes it.
And I tell my self in the big picture of things this does not amount to much.
You may not use a sanitary T going from the vertical to the horizontal.
Some of the joyous pronouncements from the inspector man.
The plumbing drain lines just plain flunked and must be done over - about from scratch.
Oh and by the way you need a four inch line going into the turdbox even though three inch line is fine for the part that precedes it.
And I tell my self in the big picture of things this does not amount to much.
Monday, July 27, 2009
The Service Entrance
Is now open.
It is not finished obviously, but I can now walk into and out of the back kitchen door. It makes a world of difference.
The framing for the next platform is done. This will be three steps down in the position it is seen in. It will end up below the top of the block wall. From there will be the stairs down to the basement patio.
I can walk in and out of the back kitchen door now. It feels good.
It is not finished obviously, but I can now walk into and out of the back kitchen door. It makes a world of difference.
The framing for the next platform is done. This will be three steps down in the position it is seen in. It will end up below the top of the block wall. From there will be the stairs down to the basement patio.
I can walk in and out of the back kitchen door now. It feels good.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
The Cozy Cabin's Colors
Because I don't have enough half finished projects going on at once it seemed logical to start another one. The siding needed to be painted before the new stair building commences. It will be easier to get to it now before a new platform and railings are added.
Then I wanted to see what the Artichoke gray would look like next to the Crafted White, ie light yellow trim and went around the corner a bit.
Then I wanted to see what the Artichoke gray would look like next to the Molera Vaquero Red. This little section of wall has put all the colors of the cozy cabin together, including the white of the vinyl window trim and the white of the underside of the metal roof. The blue is painters tape obviously.
But my plan is to paint the front and rear doors blue. Not this tape blue, but Waterloo which is just as bold of a blue, but a tone darker. The door frame will be the light yellow, Crafted White and the door itself will be the Waterloo blue. The tape will be removed.
That blue tape gives me a strong indication of what a blue door will look like though. My, it will be colorful.
Then imagine the rest of the cement columns painted the Molera Vaquero Red along with the two main girders that support the entire cabin. Bold. Thought has been given to having the front porch floor look like a Jackson Pollock painting using the Artichoke grey as a base and all the other colors Pollocked on top. Too much?
Then I wanted to see what the Artichoke gray would look like next to the Crafted White, ie light yellow trim and went around the corner a bit.
Then I wanted to see what the Artichoke gray would look like next to the Molera Vaquero Red. This little section of wall has put all the colors of the cozy cabin together, including the white of the vinyl window trim and the white of the underside of the metal roof. The blue is painters tape obviously.
But my plan is to paint the front and rear doors blue. Not this tape blue, but Waterloo which is just as bold of a blue, but a tone darker. The door frame will be the light yellow, Crafted White and the door itself will be the Waterloo blue. The tape will be removed.
That blue tape gives me a strong indication of what a blue door will look like though. My, it will be colorful.
Then imagine the rest of the cement columns painted the Molera Vaquero Red along with the two main girders that support the entire cabin. Bold. Thought has been given to having the front porch floor look like a Jackson Pollock painting using the Artichoke grey as a base and all the other colors Pollocked on top. Too much?
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The Inspection
Of Passing Time
The movement of the seasons is so much more pronounced here than my recent long frame of reference. Plants grow and bloom in an orderly sequence, internally programmed over millennia.
I observe this march of blossoms, cataloging species to their time, becoming acutely aware of the turning of each day.
The details that chronicle each click of the wheel are not always bold.
Subtle clues abound in the emergence and disappearance of another unheralded green layer of the living tapestry the rises from and descends into the earth. Each in their time.
The spotlets grow, almost a year old now. Each day they become more settled in the comfort of our routine.
Lessons are learned about the other inhabitants of the mountains.
A framed view of the setting sun shows its southern journey is already under way.
Anxious over time.
The movement of the seasons is so much more pronounced here than my recent long frame of reference. Plants grow and bloom in an orderly sequence, internally programmed over millennia.
I observe this march of blossoms, cataloging species to their time, becoming acutely aware of the turning of each day.
The details that chronicle each click of the wheel are not always bold.
Subtle clues abound in the emergence and disappearance of another unheralded green layer of the living tapestry the rises from and descends into the earth. Each in their time.
The spotlets grow, almost a year old now. Each day they become more settled in the comfort of our routine.
Lessons are learned about the other inhabitants of the mountains.
A framed view of the setting sun shows its southern journey is already under way.
Anxious over time.
Friday, July 24, 2009
So Close
Even when it feels like a million different things are going on at once, slowly,
The reality is I can only do one thing at a time. And for the most part I am focused on one thing at a time as a mental health measure.
Plumbing has been the focus for a while now. The long distraction of the two walls was plumbing related after all.
That is it, the entire system as it exists under the cozy cabin put back together to remove the leaks. Of course the other half is inside. I somehow did not glue one piece and it still leaks. I almost made it. Fortunately it is easy to disassemble because the coupling used in the repair above it screws on and off. I would have a picture of it, not that anyone would really find it that interesting, but the flash on my camera after a series of explosions has finally died and the picture was too dark.
One more bit of glue inside on a fitting and the drain lines and vent stacks will be leak free.
It is almost time for the big tomatoes to start ripening. I have picked the first of the Juliet tomatoes, a grape tomato. One site called them a saladette tomato. It is small like a cherry tomato, but elongated like a paste tomato.
The sweet corn is coming. I was told and then read recently that squash was a good thing to plant around the corn to deter the raccoons because they don't like the prickly hairs on the squash. It just so happens by chance some zucchini ended up planted on both ends of the corn. It is not surrounded by squash though. I know the raccoon is here. I have seen the evidence deposited in several places. This point in the corns life is so nerve wracking.
After a springtime of seedling predation, the third time with styrofoam cups around the seeds managed to get the cucumbers large enough to become unpalatable to the grasshoppers. Finally, this late in the season the cucumbers are beginning to cuke. Now if the wilt just leaves them alone.
No matter what there will always be plenty of the flowers. We may lose some of them and never know it.
The Echinacea are making their appearance. I of course will need them grouped in single locations instead of scattered about. That way I can focus on them as their own species.
The reality is I can only do one thing at a time. And for the most part I am focused on one thing at a time as a mental health measure.
Plumbing has been the focus for a while now. The long distraction of the two walls was plumbing related after all.
That is it, the entire system as it exists under the cozy cabin put back together to remove the leaks. Of course the other half is inside. I somehow did not glue one piece and it still leaks. I almost made it. Fortunately it is easy to disassemble because the coupling used in the repair above it screws on and off. I would have a picture of it, not that anyone would really find it that interesting, but the flash on my camera after a series of explosions has finally died and the picture was too dark.
One more bit of glue inside on a fitting and the drain lines and vent stacks will be leak free.
It is almost time for the big tomatoes to start ripening. I have picked the first of the Juliet tomatoes, a grape tomato. One site called them a saladette tomato. It is small like a cherry tomato, but elongated like a paste tomato.
The sweet corn is coming. I was told and then read recently that squash was a good thing to plant around the corn to deter the raccoons because they don't like the prickly hairs on the squash. It just so happens by chance some zucchini ended up planted on both ends of the corn. It is not surrounded by squash though. I know the raccoon is here. I have seen the evidence deposited in several places. This point in the corns life is so nerve wracking.
After a springtime of seedling predation, the third time with styrofoam cups around the seeds managed to get the cucumbers large enough to become unpalatable to the grasshoppers. Finally, this late in the season the cucumbers are beginning to cuke. Now if the wilt just leaves them alone.
No matter what there will always be plenty of the flowers. We may lose some of them and never know it.
The Echinacea are making their appearance. I of course will need them grouped in single locations instead of scattered about. That way I can focus on them as their own species.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Layers of Bloom
Mid summer has all kinds of flowers blooming. Some that are over my head and I can look up into the flower. Lilium superbum, Turk's Cap Lily
Many are at knee to waist level. These can easily be seen just by looking around.
All the different kinds of Rudbeckia are having a very good display this year.
I'm not sure this would be my favorite, but it is bold.
Underneath it all, hugging the ground is another whole world of blooms like this Prunella vulgaris, Heal All.
Thyme that has long since escaped cultivation to join the inhabitants of the meadow end of the vegetable garden is also in full bloom.
A couple of the sunflowers for fun in the roadside vegetable garden are well above my head.
The new Echinops bannaticus is showing its true, tiny blue flowers on a prickly head. I hope it seeds as readily as the Bull Thistle, Cirsium vulgare. The Echinops is significantly less vicious.
This blue will go very well with the Chicory's blue.
Many are at knee to waist level. These can easily be seen just by looking around.
All the different kinds of Rudbeckia are having a very good display this year.
I'm not sure this would be my favorite, but it is bold.
Underneath it all, hugging the ground is another whole world of blooms like this Prunella vulgaris, Heal All.
Thyme that has long since escaped cultivation to join the inhabitants of the meadow end of the vegetable garden is also in full bloom.
A couple of the sunflowers for fun in the roadside vegetable garden are well above my head.
The new Echinops bannaticus is showing its true, tiny blue flowers on a prickly head. I hope it seeds as readily as the Bull Thistle, Cirsium vulgare. The Echinops is significantly less vicious.
This blue will go very well with the Chicory's blue.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Drip
Drip. Sigh.
I climbed up to the roof, stuck a hose in the vent pipe to fill the drain lines with water and there were leaks. Like the pollen dripping from the anthers on this wonderful smelling lily, there were drips of water leaking from the pipes. At least there were only four leaks and not the six dripping anthers this lily has.
The inspection was cancelled.
So I cut out all the bad parts. That happens to the wild flowers often enough just because there are so many that take up space for other desired things. In this case the desired thing would be for pipes that don't leak.
I looked inside these cut pipes and they were all very well connected. There was no reason they should be leaking. None that I could see. It is torment.
And tomorrow we will start putting it all back together again.
There is good news. The water lines that will deliver water to the leaky drains were all perfectly fine and held pressure to 70 psi with nary a drip.
I climbed up to the roof, stuck a hose in the vent pipe to fill the drain lines with water and there were leaks. Like the pollen dripping from the anthers on this wonderful smelling lily, there were drips of water leaking from the pipes. At least there were only four leaks and not the six dripping anthers this lily has.
The inspection was cancelled.
So I cut out all the bad parts. That happens to the wild flowers often enough just because there are so many that take up space for other desired things. In this case the desired thing would be for pipes that don't leak.
I looked inside these cut pipes and they were all very well connected. There was no reason they should be leaking. None that I could see. It is torment.
And tomorrow we will start putting it all back together again.
There is good news. The water lines that will deliver water to the leaky drains were all perfectly fine and held pressure to 70 psi with nary a drip.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Turdhenge
I think I have OD'd on rocks.
I did not want to look at the cleanout pipe that sticks up out of the ground and it is important to prevent any vehicles from driving onto the plastic septic tank. I started hauling large boulders to create something. And I am uninspired.
I am not the only crazy obsessed person in these hills who is stacking and arranging rocks. There is a local blogger, The Avant Garden , who blogs mostly about stacking rocks. His rock stacking seems to be more about pleasure and is often ephemeral. I'm not there yet. I am more into permanence.
Turdhenge begins.
But I am uninspired. Sadly the reason I think is because these rocks are too small. The largest rocks I had the energy to move and they look to small. I want monumental. I want wreck your car before you end up on top of the turdbox rocks.
The driveway and turning area will be gravel and I can't plant on top of this thing so it makes sense to cover it with gravel for ease of any potential future access and as a visual continuation of a large area of gravel. Separated of course for practical reasons.
This will have to do for now. It should keep the vehicular traffic away from this area.
It just so happens there is a pile of substantial boulders stacked along my drive from the original grading done for the cozy cabin. It will take a machine to move them. I will need a little bit of final grading done at some point and a lot more gravel spread around. Huge satisfying boulders could be set into place at that time as well.
Or maybe I will come up with another idea entirely.
The Shasta Daisies are so effortlessly perfect just the way they are. If only rocks were that easy. I will be happy to move on to insulation, stair building or maybe even finish the siding. I need a break from moving rocks.
I did not want to look at the cleanout pipe that sticks up out of the ground and it is important to prevent any vehicles from driving onto the plastic septic tank. I started hauling large boulders to create something. And I am uninspired.
I am not the only crazy obsessed person in these hills who is stacking and arranging rocks. There is a local blogger, The Avant Garden , who blogs mostly about stacking rocks. His rock stacking seems to be more about pleasure and is often ephemeral. I'm not there yet. I am more into permanence.
Turdhenge begins.
But I am uninspired. Sadly the reason I think is because these rocks are too small. The largest rocks I had the energy to move and they look to small. I want monumental. I want wreck your car before you end up on top of the turdbox rocks.
The driveway and turning area will be gravel and I can't plant on top of this thing so it makes sense to cover it with gravel for ease of any potential future access and as a visual continuation of a large area of gravel. Separated of course for practical reasons.
This will have to do for now. It should keep the vehicular traffic away from this area.
It just so happens there is a pile of substantial boulders stacked along my drive from the original grading done for the cozy cabin. It will take a machine to move them. I will need a little bit of final grading done at some point and a lot more gravel spread around. Huge satisfying boulders could be set into place at that time as well.
Or maybe I will come up with another idea entirely.
The Shasta Daisies are so effortlessly perfect just the way they are. If only rocks were that easy. I will be happy to move on to insulation, stair building or maybe even finish the siding. I need a break from moving rocks.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
What They Didn't See
I heard voices and didn't think anything of it. I hear all kinds of things from passing cars, trucks and motorcycles. Then the building contractor said, "Did you see the women up in the vegetable garden?" No I did not.
I wandered up to find four women huddled in the sunny utility meadow, some with cameras, hovering over the Gooseneck Loosestrife.
Hello?
Margie said it was ok if we looked at the garden.
Alright then, you have been given permission. I had wet mortar going and went back to work. They looked innocent enough. I didn't see any shovels.
This is what draws them in.
Dozens and dozens of red dots down in the meadow drew them further in.
Once you are down there all kinds of things become visible.
So who were they? Were they ladies from the church landscape committee? At lunch time we were told they were from Tampa and just driving by and saw Bulbarella out in her garden and asked if they could see it.
But they only saw a part of the wild cultivated garden. There is always more.
The first of the native Turk's Cap Lilies, Lilium superbum have begun to bloom in the ridge top garden.
Pink astilbe festoons the garden from one end to the other.
In the sunniest spot, a wild assortment clamours for attention.
Some of the hostas compete for showiness with the astilbe.
The purple spikes of liatris add to a familiar summer theme.
Stokesia in two colors mingles with others. This is the wild cultivated look at its prime.
Even though it is out by the road, the Miscanthus and Echinops combo is still mostly hidden by the gargantuan Chicory and not likely to be noticed. Now that I am finished dividing the grass, everything should size out more evenly next year. I am hoping the Chicory might be just a wee bit more subdued next year as well. The Iron Weed is shorter and fuller this year after last years eight foot reach.
Some of these neglected roadside weeds are a bit jolted by a good heaping of wood chip mulch. It takes them some time to adjust and re-size themselves back to normal.
I wandered up to find four women huddled in the sunny utility meadow, some with cameras, hovering over the Gooseneck Loosestrife.
Hello?
Margie said it was ok if we looked at the garden.
Alright then, you have been given permission. I had wet mortar going and went back to work. They looked innocent enough. I didn't see any shovels.
This is what draws them in.
Dozens and dozens of red dots down in the meadow drew them further in.
Once you are down there all kinds of things become visible.
So who were they? Were they ladies from the church landscape committee? At lunch time we were told they were from Tampa and just driving by and saw Bulbarella out in her garden and asked if they could see it.
But they only saw a part of the wild cultivated garden. There is always more.
The first of the native Turk's Cap Lilies, Lilium superbum have begun to bloom in the ridge top garden.
Pink astilbe festoons the garden from one end to the other.
In the sunniest spot, a wild assortment clamours for attention.
Some of the hostas compete for showiness with the astilbe.
The purple spikes of liatris add to a familiar summer theme.
Stokesia in two colors mingles with others. This is the wild cultivated look at its prime.
Even though it is out by the road, the Miscanthus and Echinops combo is still mostly hidden by the gargantuan Chicory and not likely to be noticed. Now that I am finished dividing the grass, everything should size out more evenly next year. I am hoping the Chicory might be just a wee bit more subdued next year as well. The Iron Weed is shorter and fuller this year after last years eight foot reach.
Some of these neglected roadside weeds are a bit jolted by a good heaping of wood chip mulch. It takes them some time to adjust and re-size themselves back to normal.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Contact
The sewer line has finally made it all the way to the turdbox. Hallelujah!!
The water line from the well was stubbed out inside the cabin and the last of that trench covered. Lots of details were attended to. This weekend the i's will be dotted and the t's crossed. On Monday there will be a call for inspection. Hallelujah!!
The long arm of the block wall had the cap stones glued on. Some mortaring will be done around the stovepipe sewer line where it goes through the wall. Then those cap stones can be glued on. The beginnings of another dry stack wall is taking shape. It really won't amount to much more than a stone edging to help hold the soil in place and define the shape of the future perennial bed.
How long did these walls take? I'll have to go back on the blog and look. I like the cap stones much more from above than the line it creates from below. No matter though. Much of this beautiful new wall combo will be under the stairs and what is left will be fluffed with greenery.
This week has seen the sweet corn tassel and the ears silk out and I've been sexing the corn every time I pass through. So far no sign of Mr. Raccoon. The flock of about 25 turkeys that has been around all week has shown no interest in the roadside vegetable garden, thank goodness. The do however like to dig in freshly planted soil and have mucked up a few newly planted things. The wood chip mulch must be more than they can handle. They can easily cause all kinds of disturbance in the natural leaf litter of the forest.
Perhaps next year all my spare time will be spent in a new wild cultivated garden that overlaps and blends into the one that exists here now. The floral extravaganza high on a mountaintop in North Carolina will continue to expand.
All the stone hauling and bucket toting of dirt and gravel will seem worth it
When the dirt scars on the land become totally green and are covered in a shifting tapestry of texture and seasonal blooms.
The water line from the well was stubbed out inside the cabin and the last of that trench covered. Lots of details were attended to. This weekend the i's will be dotted and the t's crossed. On Monday there will be a call for inspection. Hallelujah!!
The long arm of the block wall had the cap stones glued on. Some mortaring will be done around the stovepipe sewer line where it goes through the wall. Then those cap stones can be glued on. The beginnings of another dry stack wall is taking shape. It really won't amount to much more than a stone edging to help hold the soil in place and define the shape of the future perennial bed.
How long did these walls take? I'll have to go back on the blog and look. I like the cap stones much more from above than the line it creates from below. No matter though. Much of this beautiful new wall combo will be under the stairs and what is left will be fluffed with greenery.
This week has seen the sweet corn tassel and the ears silk out and I've been sexing the corn every time I pass through. So far no sign of Mr. Raccoon. The flock of about 25 turkeys that has been around all week has shown no interest in the roadside vegetable garden, thank goodness. The do however like to dig in freshly planted soil and have mucked up a few newly planted things. The wood chip mulch must be more than they can handle. They can easily cause all kinds of disturbance in the natural leaf litter of the forest.
Perhaps next year all my spare time will be spent in a new wild cultivated garden that overlaps and blends into the one that exists here now. The floral extravaganza high on a mountaintop in North Carolina will continue to expand.
All the stone hauling and bucket toting of dirt and gravel will seem worth it
When the dirt scars on the land become totally green and are covered in a shifting tapestry of texture and seasonal blooms.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Late Bloom Day - Part 2
Yes there are times even for gardeners when it is important to stop .... and smell the roses. But these were Knockout Roses and they didn't have any smell. They look much better than mine though which bloomed once this spring and have just sat there since, not growing at all.
We were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by the Grove Park Inn and have a look around. I have no recollection of ever being here before, but the resident gardeners recall taking their young brood here for lunch one day many moons ago.
This is just one side of the main inn. Scaffolding encased the main entry of the Great Hall and large parts of the rear of the inn. The building is getting a new roof and restoration work done for its upcoming 100th birthday.
Check out the boulders above the windows. Click on the picture for a better look at the rough stone face of this building. This is totally 3-D stone work
This must be some cultivar of the Oakleaf Hydrangea. It is much more striking than the regular type.
Big pots on a big patio.
My friend Deb checks out the view on a terrace below the inn and above the spa which was added to the resort in the last decade.
Downtown Asheville peaks up through the tree tops. This haze is typical of warm summer days.
Is the stone used in the new spa real or fake? It is hard to tell. Could that single stone arch over the spa entry possibly be one piece of stone? They did stay with the theme of the original inn, but this stone work is decidedly different from the 3-D rock of the original.
Looking down at the spa complex.
Looking up towards the main inn. The building in the back ground is one of two new wings added to the original inn.
The gardens in the central courtyard created by the two new wings and above the spa were a bit lacking I thought. It seemed to be planted in the New American style with native perennials like Iron Weed, Joe Pye, grasses and small trees and a few shrubs. I did not really look close enough to take it all in. There were huge areas of bare mulch and next to nothing blooming. Perhaps this garden is still relatively new from all the construction that went on.
But let me tell you there is absolutely no reason a meadow type garden should be so devoid of bloom at this time of year in North Carolina. Someone needs to speak to their head horticulturalist.
Chuck B was contemplating a sculpture for a problem spot in his garden and I thought of him when I saw these kinetic sculptures on a small lawn in the parking area.
Next stop was downtown and the Vortex Cabaret at the Boiler Room. Sorry no pics. Produced by the Rev. Johnny Lemuria, Holy man, absurdist radical, and host of the Pleasure Saucer, it truly had to be seen to be believed. Two musical acts that were just noise, but watching the odd physical aspects of the musicians themselves was amusing, a puppeteer, a comedian and one burlesque performance. Different and enjoyable in an absurdest sort of way.
And that was my Bloom Day in Asheville. Now back to you Carol.
We were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by the Grove Park Inn and have a look around. I have no recollection of ever being here before, but the resident gardeners recall taking their young brood here for lunch one day many moons ago.
This is just one side of the main inn. Scaffolding encased the main entry of the Great Hall and large parts of the rear of the inn. The building is getting a new roof and restoration work done for its upcoming 100th birthday.
Check out the boulders above the windows. Click on the picture for a better look at the rough stone face of this building. This is totally 3-D stone work
This must be some cultivar of the Oakleaf Hydrangea. It is much more striking than the regular type.
Big pots on a big patio.
My friend Deb checks out the view on a terrace below the inn and above the spa which was added to the resort in the last decade.
Downtown Asheville peaks up through the tree tops. This haze is typical of warm summer days.
Is the stone used in the new spa real or fake? It is hard to tell. Could that single stone arch over the spa entry possibly be one piece of stone? They did stay with the theme of the original inn, but this stone work is decidedly different from the 3-D rock of the original.
Looking down at the spa complex.
Looking up towards the main inn. The building in the back ground is one of two new wings added to the original inn.
The gardens in the central courtyard created by the two new wings and above the spa were a bit lacking I thought. It seemed to be planted in the New American style with native perennials like Iron Weed, Joe Pye, grasses and small trees and a few shrubs. I did not really look close enough to take it all in. There were huge areas of bare mulch and next to nothing blooming. Perhaps this garden is still relatively new from all the construction that went on.
But let me tell you there is absolutely no reason a meadow type garden should be so devoid of bloom at this time of year in North Carolina. Someone needs to speak to their head horticulturalist.
Chuck B was contemplating a sculpture for a problem spot in his garden and I thought of him when I saw these kinetic sculptures on a small lawn in the parking area.
Next stop was downtown and the Vortex Cabaret at the Boiler Room. Sorry no pics. Produced by the Rev. Johnny Lemuria, Holy man, absurdist radical, and host of the Pleasure Saucer, it truly had to be seen to be believed. Two musical acts that were just noise, but watching the odd physical aspects of the musicians themselves was amusing, a puppeteer, a comedian and one burlesque performance. Different and enjoyable in an absurdest sort of way.
And that was my Bloom Day in Asheville. Now back to you Carol.
Late Bloom Day - Part 1
It doesn't take much imagination to figure out what I was doing on Bloom Day. Let's just say it has been making me a little restless, irritable and discontent. I thought it would be a good idea to make a date and go away.
An evening in Asheville was planned with a good friend. We met at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville for an evening stroll to start off our night on the town. Blooms for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day headquartered in a place called May Dreams were going to be found for this month's post in Asheville.
The Botanical Garden is a strictly native plant garden tended solely by volunteers. It also functions quite well as an urban park adjacent to the campus of UNCA. What would be blooming here in mid July?
Phlox and Monarda.
Rudbeckia
A late blooming azalea with a wonderful honeysuckle scent.
Liatris and Rattlesnake Master, Eryngium yuccifolium.
Cup Plant, Silphium perfoliatum. The large opposite leaves of this aster relative join and completely surround the stem.
New England Aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae. This looks like the variety Frances recently gave me on my visit to Faire Garden Tennessee. It is shorter in stature and a much earlier bloomer than the giant thing here I call New England Aster. Aster confusion reigns.
And one water lily in a small formal pond.
Then it was time for dinner at a nice Thai restaurant where I had to be sure and order medium spicy which was like regular mild spicy in Hawaii. If you don't ask they serve it mild, as in bland for American palates which I discovered the first time I ate there. Who ever heard of bland Thai cooking?
Bloom Day - Part 2 coming up next. Our evening in Asheville continues.
An evening in Asheville was planned with a good friend. We met at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville for an evening stroll to start off our night on the town. Blooms for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day headquartered in a place called May Dreams were going to be found for this month's post in Asheville.
The Botanical Garden is a strictly native plant garden tended solely by volunteers. It also functions quite well as an urban park adjacent to the campus of UNCA. What would be blooming here in mid July?
Phlox and Monarda.
Rudbeckia
A late blooming azalea with a wonderful honeysuckle scent.
Liatris and Rattlesnake Master, Eryngium yuccifolium.
Cup Plant, Silphium perfoliatum. The large opposite leaves of this aster relative join and completely surround the stem.
New England Aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae. This looks like the variety Frances recently gave me on my visit to Faire Garden Tennessee. It is shorter in stature and a much earlier bloomer than the giant thing here I call New England Aster. Aster confusion reigns.
And one water lily in a small formal pond.
Then it was time for dinner at a nice Thai restaurant where I had to be sure and order medium spicy which was like regular mild spicy in Hawaii. If you don't ask they serve it mild, as in bland for American palates which I discovered the first time I ate there. Who ever heard of bland Thai cooking?
Bloom Day - Part 2 coming up next. Our evening in Asheville continues.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
27 Feet
That is about how far the peach tree is from the blueberry patch. They should be ready very soon.
And that is how much closer we got to the inlet of the turdbox.
Then we stopped. The gasket the septic installer left us that goes around the sewer line as it enters the box is for a four inch pipe and we are using three inch pipe. We need a three inch gasket and before we cut a hole into the plastic turdbox we want to be sure we have all our ducks in a row.
Even with all that store bought block wall, we still ended up with very little actual coverage of the sewer line, like between six and ten inches. I added another course of block and will be extending the end of the wall a bit further.
The top course of block on the short arm of the wall parallel to the cabin needs two pieces of block cut to fit to finish that. Some of the cap stones we will be using can be seen sitting on the wall. They will be glued on for stability.
And to help keep the soil on top of the sewer line, another very short in height, thirty five foot in length, rock podge stone wall will be laid between the sewer line and the turdbox.
Another little problem we are having is that the drain line leaving the box rises an inch up to a coupling before it descends again. I think the entire box settled over the winter and tweaked the drain line a bit. So I am digging out around the drain line so I can try to wiggle the kink out and get the pipe to settle down another inch as well.
The plan for the landscaping is to have a perennial bed over the sewer line exiting the cabin between the block wall and the short stone edging wall. The turdbox itself will be covered in gravel and visually become part of the gravel driveway and parking area. Most likely a new Stonehenge type of event will be set up to stop cars from parking on top of the box and to hide the perfectly located cleanout pipe.
I am a landscaper. My job is to make things pretty and to hide the defects. One day the troubles with the turbox will not be noticeable. It will all be lush landscape.
One day too, my only concern might be how good will the sunset be.
And will the peaches taste good? The blueberries sure do.
And that is how much closer we got to the inlet of the turdbox.
Then we stopped. The gasket the septic installer left us that goes around the sewer line as it enters the box is for a four inch pipe and we are using three inch pipe. We need a three inch gasket and before we cut a hole into the plastic turdbox we want to be sure we have all our ducks in a row.
Even with all that store bought block wall, we still ended up with very little actual coverage of the sewer line, like between six and ten inches. I added another course of block and will be extending the end of the wall a bit further.
The top course of block on the short arm of the wall parallel to the cabin needs two pieces of block cut to fit to finish that. Some of the cap stones we will be using can be seen sitting on the wall. They will be glued on for stability.
And to help keep the soil on top of the sewer line, another very short in height, thirty five foot in length, rock podge stone wall will be laid between the sewer line and the turdbox.
Another little problem we are having is that the drain line leaving the box rises an inch up to a coupling before it descends again. I think the entire box settled over the winter and tweaked the drain line a bit. So I am digging out around the drain line so I can try to wiggle the kink out and get the pipe to settle down another inch as well.
The plan for the landscaping is to have a perennial bed over the sewer line exiting the cabin between the block wall and the short stone edging wall. The turdbox itself will be covered in gravel and visually become part of the gravel driveway and parking area. Most likely a new Stonehenge type of event will be set up to stop cars from parking on top of the box and to hide the perfectly located cleanout pipe.
I am a landscaper. My job is to make things pretty and to hide the defects. One day the troubles with the turbox will not be noticeable. It will all be lush landscape.
One day too, my only concern might be how good will the sunset be.
And will the peaches taste good? The blueberries sure do.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Ode To The Turdbox
Without a doubt the septic system and drain field has caused the most consternation in the construction of the cozy cabin. On a regular basis I drive by herds of cows grazing in or at the edge of streams. They just do their business wherever with out a single concern or regulation governing their poo.
In my case, a herd of one, an entire system of separation and disposal is required. Then the soil has to be just right and the hillside of saprolite where the cozy cabin sits was rejected as substandard. The drain field had to be moved to the other side of the sunny utility valley where I was fortunate to have acceptable soil.
When the turdbox that will collect my poo and send the effluent off to the drain field was installed it ended up being a foot higher than was anticipated. A retaining wall was needed to be able to bury the sewer line on it journey from the cabin to the box. So I shovel buckets of dirt from the basement patio floor to use as back fill behind the new block wall. That works out fine because I did need to lower the patio floor to get a proper base under a future stone floor and maintain the 6' 9" head clearance under the main girder of the cabin that I wanted.
It's all about adjusting. A single word in a comment on the previous post, Stonehenge, changed things. The previous patio sculpture #1 unwrapped and lined out. It is a shorter segment of the similar boulder lines I had on my Maui lawn.
All this digging has allowed me to act on ideas I held in reserve for the basement patio. Half of the pot belly of an old furnace that was discovered in Fort Collins Colorado in 1981 was laid next to patio sculpture #2. This new juxtaposition of metal, stone and cement has more appeal and is cause for more thought. It moves me more than the stone alone. Now this hunk of metal has a home.
The nice round basin and rectangular stone backing is reminiscent of something, almost fountain or pond like. Maybe I could add water to this somehow in the future.
But something else comes to mind. It also has the feel of a chair, even a throne.
Deep thoughts.
In the midst of shoveling buckets of dirt to make a turdbox that is too high for comfort work with the flow of gravity, time for contemplation is found. A little satisfaction is wrested from an uncomfortable situation. Patio sculpture #2 is properly christened just like the cows do. All lines lead to the throne.
In my case, a herd of one, an entire system of separation and disposal is required. Then the soil has to be just right and the hillside of saprolite where the cozy cabin sits was rejected as substandard. The drain field had to be moved to the other side of the sunny utility valley where I was fortunate to have acceptable soil.
When the turdbox that will collect my poo and send the effluent off to the drain field was installed it ended up being a foot higher than was anticipated. A retaining wall was needed to be able to bury the sewer line on it journey from the cabin to the box. So I shovel buckets of dirt from the basement patio floor to use as back fill behind the new block wall. That works out fine because I did need to lower the patio floor to get a proper base under a future stone floor and maintain the 6' 9" head clearance under the main girder of the cabin that I wanted.
It's all about adjusting. A single word in a comment on the previous post, Stonehenge, changed things. The previous patio sculpture #1 unwrapped and lined out. It is a shorter segment of the similar boulder lines I had on my Maui lawn.
All this digging has allowed me to act on ideas I held in reserve for the basement patio. Half of the pot belly of an old furnace that was discovered in Fort Collins Colorado in 1981 was laid next to patio sculpture #2. This new juxtaposition of metal, stone and cement has more appeal and is cause for more thought. It moves me more than the stone alone. Now this hunk of metal has a home.
The nice round basin and rectangular stone backing is reminiscent of something, almost fountain or pond like. Maybe I could add water to this somehow in the future.
But something else comes to mind. It also has the feel of a chair, even a throne.
Deep thoughts.
In the midst of shoveling buckets of dirt to make a turdbox that is too high for comfort work with the flow of gravity, time for contemplation is found. A little satisfaction is wrested from an uncomfortable situation. Patio sculpture #2 is properly christened just like the cows do. All lines lead to the throne.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Wiggled In To Place
Stone sculpture #2 for the patio was wiggled into place with a 2x4, other stones as leverage, brute force and determination.
It's ok, but I am not deeply moved. The larger stone is close to impossible to move so this needs to grow on me. And how does it work with the other stone sculpture that will move just a step to the right. Is it possible for a person to OD on stone?
Maybe it just needs a new position or another element. Tomorrow I will play with adding the old metal stove parts and see what happens. The tiniest little adjustments can make a world of difference.
And that is my world, one tiny adjustment after another that eventually add up to cause rubber neckers to slow down, turn around and come back, stop, backup, come in and contemplate pulling down the drive, but backing out instead and heading off down the road. What were they up to?
This picture doesn't really do justice to the floral bonanza that the roadside vegetable garden is right now after miles of dense shady forest. All of a sudden the trees open up, the sun comes through and thousands of blooming flowers assault the senses of passerby. What were they up to?
The Veronica spicata will need some minor adjustments too. I need more, a bunch more, like a whole river of it. It can be the second wave after the earlier blooming Salvia nemerosa and Lupine.
One small adjustment to the roadside vegetable garden this year was the planting of sunflowers.
Just for fun.
It's ok, but I am not deeply moved. The larger stone is close to impossible to move so this needs to grow on me. And how does it work with the other stone sculpture that will move just a step to the right. Is it possible for a person to OD on stone?
Maybe it just needs a new position or another element. Tomorrow I will play with adding the old metal stove parts and see what happens. The tiniest little adjustments can make a world of difference.
And that is my world, one tiny adjustment after another that eventually add up to cause rubber neckers to slow down, turn around and come back, stop, backup, come in and contemplate pulling down the drive, but backing out instead and heading off down the road. What were they up to?
This picture doesn't really do justice to the floral bonanza that the roadside vegetable garden is right now after miles of dense shady forest. All of a sudden the trees open up, the sun comes through and thousands of blooming flowers assault the senses of passerby. What were they up to?
The Veronica spicata will need some minor adjustments too. I need more, a bunch more, like a whole river of it. It can be the second wave after the earlier blooming Salvia nemerosa and Lupine.
One small adjustment to the roadside vegetable garden this year was the planting of sunflowers.
Just for fun.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Summertime
In a garden I tend.
The front bed has Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Perovskia and Shasta Daisy among others currently in bloom.
Around back, Daylilies, Eupatorium, Rudbeckia, Phlox, Dahlia and more Shasta Daisy.
Throw in some Liatris, Lavender and a big white Trumpet Lily about to bloom.
The pond blooms too, but no water lilies today.
Just one perfect Lotus who closed up shop in the afternoon under threatening grey skies before I had a chance for a closeup.
It things like this they make you consider having a pond.
The front bed has Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Perovskia and Shasta Daisy among others currently in bloom.
Around back, Daylilies, Eupatorium, Rudbeckia, Phlox, Dahlia and more Shasta Daisy.
Throw in some Liatris, Lavender and a big white Trumpet Lily about to bloom.
The pond blooms too, but no water lilies today.
Just one perfect Lotus who closed up shop in the afternoon under threatening grey skies before I had a chance for a closeup.
It things like this they make you consider having a pond.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Patio Sculpture
So a sewer pipe becomes a stove pipe for the first part of its journey through the air into the bowels of the earth. This allowed for a nice wrapping of insulation around the pipe. The stove pipe covering and insulation wrap will extend into the wall where a blanket of earth will take over insulation duties.
For unknown reasons I find this bizarre accoutrement rather fetching and don't mind that it will be highly visible unless I plant a bush in front of it - the ultimate landscaping solution to hideous problems. That black hole at the base of the column is the drain line beneath the walls. It will get a more permanent collection box and grate in time that attaches to the pipe. This will add to the urban industrial service entry of the cozy cabin.
The fill that goes behind the new store bought block retaining wall is slowly rising, one bucket at a time.
The soil is coming from down below where the intersection of all this activity can be viewed. It is getting incredibly visually busy and there is more to come. The sewer line and water pipes will be boxed in and insulated at a level below the rest of the insulated floor. One furnace and the duct work for four vents will also eventually be mounted below the insulated floor joists. The stairs and landing to get down to the basement patio from above will also add to the visual overload in this corner. I'll need ferns maybe.
Moving dirt uphill by bucket is accomplishing another goal, the start of lowering the basement patio floor to the proper depth in order to get four inches of packed gravel for a base for a future stone floor.
Of course I am finding more rocks as I dig and having to move them around in order to get the floor dug out.
At the end of the day I was organizing rocks and moving big boulders around and I do believe one of the intended stone sculptures for the patio appeared.
Its permanent home will be just a jump to the left.
The other intended stone sculpture in the foreground is still in an unassembled condition. It will be centered around the second column. That one boulder on the left is hefty. I can only move it about an inch a time.
From this view the sculpture that appeared today will just move a step to the right.
A jump to the left.
In another dimension, there could be other intentions
This is a time slip
Using the earth's gifts
For a place of relaxing sensations.
For unknown reasons I find this bizarre accoutrement rather fetching and don't mind that it will be highly visible unless I plant a bush in front of it - the ultimate landscaping solution to hideous problems. That black hole at the base of the column is the drain line beneath the walls. It will get a more permanent collection box and grate in time that attaches to the pipe. This will add to the urban industrial service entry of the cozy cabin.
The fill that goes behind the new store bought block retaining wall is slowly rising, one bucket at a time.
The soil is coming from down below where the intersection of all this activity can be viewed. It is getting incredibly visually busy and there is more to come. The sewer line and water pipes will be boxed in and insulated at a level below the rest of the insulated floor. One furnace and the duct work for four vents will also eventually be mounted below the insulated floor joists. The stairs and landing to get down to the basement patio from above will also add to the visual overload in this corner. I'll need ferns maybe.
Moving dirt uphill by bucket is accomplishing another goal, the start of lowering the basement patio floor to the proper depth in order to get four inches of packed gravel for a base for a future stone floor.
Of course I am finding more rocks as I dig and having to move them around in order to get the floor dug out.
At the end of the day I was organizing rocks and moving big boulders around and I do believe one of the intended stone sculptures for the patio appeared.
Its permanent home will be just a jump to the left.
The other intended stone sculpture in the foreground is still in an unassembled condition. It will be centered around the second column. That one boulder on the left is hefty. I can only move it about an inch a time.
From this view the sculpture that appeared today will just move a step to the right.
A jump to the left.
In another dimension, there could be other intentions
This is a time slip
Using the earth's gifts
For a place of relaxing sensations.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Where Was I
Once the thunderstorm passed
And Crawford was fed and put to bed
It was time for a little stroll in the still wet to clear my head.
The Gloriosa Daisies, aka Black-Eyed Susan; there is that name confusion where the real name, Rudbeckia hirta comes in handy, comes in all kinds of color variations to makes things more confusing.
This is the kind of wild confusion that I think I may be able to organize one day into organized confusion.
But things happen here and you never know what is going to pop up. Bulbarella loves this new daylily that she grew from seed just to see what she would get. This was from simple seed collection, not a planned breeding program. Out of a row of 30 seedlings mostly in the orange tones was this peachy double.
I was busy while Crawford was stuck in the tree. The second electric line was threaded through PVC pipe and run from the cabin to the well head.
And the trench that wrecked my driveway and mashed the other half of my front bed was filled back in.
All the way to the top.
The gas line, main water line and two electric lines to the well enter the cabin in the same general spot. There is some hookup work to do, but the lines are in.
And I was back filling behind the new block retaining wall. There has been a lot of dirt shoveling while I fretted over a kitten stuck in a tree 60 feet off the ground.
Hopefully everything is back to normal for a spell.
And the unfolding summer can be enjoyed.
And plans for moving some Black Cohosh, Actaea racemosa to my section of the shaded forest, aka septic drain field garden, can be contemplated.
I just need to find some that need a new home.
And Crawford was fed and put to bed
It was time for a little stroll in the still wet to clear my head.
The Gloriosa Daisies, aka Black-Eyed Susan; there is that name confusion where the real name, Rudbeckia hirta comes in handy, comes in all kinds of color variations to makes things more confusing.
This is the kind of wild confusion that I think I may be able to organize one day into organized confusion.
But things happen here and you never know what is going to pop up. Bulbarella loves this new daylily that she grew from seed just to see what she would get. This was from simple seed collection, not a planned breeding program. Out of a row of 30 seedlings mostly in the orange tones was this peachy double.
I was busy while Crawford was stuck in the tree. The second electric line was threaded through PVC pipe and run from the cabin to the well head.
And the trench that wrecked my driveway and mashed the other half of my front bed was filled back in.
All the way to the top.
The gas line, main water line and two electric lines to the well enter the cabin in the same general spot. There is some hookup work to do, but the lines are in.
And I was back filling behind the new block retaining wall. There has been a lot of dirt shoveling while I fretted over a kitten stuck in a tree 60 feet off the ground.
Hopefully everything is back to normal for a spell.
And the unfolding summer can be enjoyed.
And plans for moving some Black Cohosh, Actaea racemosa to my section of the shaded forest, aka septic drain field garden, can be contemplated.
I just need to find some that need a new home.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Sixty Feet
Up
And on the property below the cozy cabin. That is were I found Crawford this morning when I followed the pitiful cries. He won't come down and this afternoon I had to shoo the ravens away that had discovered him.
My nerves are shot from all this disarray.
Crawford should have a nice sunset view and tonight's full moon should be stunning from his lofty perch. Minervas.
Rescue Update: Wednesday 4:50 pm. One nice tree trimmer with spikes, belt and rope, five minutes and a wailing Crawford was lowered to the forest floor in a pillow case and my waiting arms just as it really stated to rain. He quieted down the second he was in my arms. $40. Close enough to priceless. I feel better now. Crawford seems unfazed.
And on the property below the cozy cabin. That is were I found Crawford this morning when I followed the pitiful cries. He won't come down and this afternoon I had to shoo the ravens away that had discovered him.
My nerves are shot from all this disarray.
Crawford should have a nice sunset view and tonight's full moon should be stunning from his lofty perch. Minervas.
Rescue Update: Wednesday 4:50 pm. One nice tree trimmer with spikes, belt and rope, five minutes and a wailing Crawford was lowered to the forest floor in a pillow case and my waiting arms just as it really stated to rain. He quieted down the second he was in my arms. $40. Close enough to priceless. I feel better now. Crawford seems unfazed.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Impossible
There are rare times when the camera simply refuses to see what the eye sees going on in the sky. Last night the very air itself was infused with a golden orange glow that reached from the horizon, through the clouds, right into the tree tops before me.
I did capture a couple of off color scenes after angling the camera in all kinds of directions. The true color was more golden, but the entire sky was suffused with this tone of light.
Today's late evening stroll under cloudy skies tested the camera operators abilities to get good color and sharp images. A discerning eye can still pick out many of the plants in this scene, Coreopsis, Hosta, Astilbe and a variegated white Filipendula in the back.
Liatris blooms with many companions. Artemisia has crept across the path. Virginia Creeper winds it way throughout. Yarrow and Goldenrod compete for space. A weeping Spruce tries to keep its head above the fray. We know all these plants.
Blown up to full size many gardeners could pick out countless species in this image despite the poor lighting. Astilbe, Ligularia and the first of the Bee Balm are blooming. The big leaved Darmera peltata got super sized this year. Responding to the monsoon no doubt. Asters, Goldenrod, Angelica, Clematis virginiana and Impatiens pallida are just a few of the other plants mingled in there.
When attempting to grow a wildflower meadow you need to know what is good and what is a weed or considered a weed. The editing process no matter how lax or down right impossible to a point of completion can determine how much you get in the way of actual wildflowers. Yarrow, Stokesia and Asclepias tuberosa bloom now. The Goldenrod and Ageratina altissima come later.
Every single plant may not be known by name, but the vast majority are known by whether or not they have a good enough flower not to be subject to removal.
Sadly there are people in this world for who it is clearly impossible to see plants at all. No matter how much room you give them and say please don't muck up my replanted Mugo Pine, they just have to squash something in order to feel like they have done their job right.
The pump was dropped down the well and the electric and water line trenched to the cabin. My poor Sedum cauticolum 'Lidakense' is now mush for the year. The remaining daylilies had to be half stomped for good measure. The Mugo Pine was at least only half buried in dirt. Oh why, why, don't these people see plants?
Tomorrow I will run another electric conduit pipe for a second electric line in case the well head should ever need an electric blanket for a cold spell. The electric line can also be used in the future for lights and one of them fancy gates that opens and closes automatically. Then I can fill in the trench and repair the damage once more. At least I am getting some new rocks out of this mess.
I will take my comfort where I can get it. On Sunday I yanked out the Caterbury Bells that were done blooming and divided the Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'. The other front bed is finally planted as I have envisioned it. Will it last?
Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' will dominate the bed. A Picea abies 'Nidiformis' will add winter interest. Cichorium intybus, Echinops bannaticus 'Blue Glow', Verbena bonariensis (hopefully it will self sow) and Iron Weed, Vernonia noveboracensis will add blue and purples in their time. Ox-Eye daisy will wander about and bloom early to late summer. The bold, yellow candelabras of the Eremurus will strike a golden note in a waving sea of blues, purple and white.
At least that is the plan.
I did capture a couple of off color scenes after angling the camera in all kinds of directions. The true color was more golden, but the entire sky was suffused with this tone of light.
Today's late evening stroll under cloudy skies tested the camera operators abilities to get good color and sharp images. A discerning eye can still pick out many of the plants in this scene, Coreopsis, Hosta, Astilbe and a variegated white Filipendula in the back.
Liatris blooms with many companions. Artemisia has crept across the path. Virginia Creeper winds it way throughout. Yarrow and Goldenrod compete for space. A weeping Spruce tries to keep its head above the fray. We know all these plants.
Blown up to full size many gardeners could pick out countless species in this image despite the poor lighting. Astilbe, Ligularia and the first of the Bee Balm are blooming. The big leaved Darmera peltata got super sized this year. Responding to the monsoon no doubt. Asters, Goldenrod, Angelica, Clematis virginiana and Impatiens pallida are just a few of the other plants mingled in there.
When attempting to grow a wildflower meadow you need to know what is good and what is a weed or considered a weed. The editing process no matter how lax or down right impossible to a point of completion can determine how much you get in the way of actual wildflowers. Yarrow, Stokesia and Asclepias tuberosa bloom now. The Goldenrod and Ageratina altissima come later.
Every single plant may not be known by name, but the vast majority are known by whether or not they have a good enough flower not to be subject to removal.
Sadly there are people in this world for who it is clearly impossible to see plants at all. No matter how much room you give them and say please don't muck up my replanted Mugo Pine, they just have to squash something in order to feel like they have done their job right.
The pump was dropped down the well and the electric and water line trenched to the cabin. My poor Sedum cauticolum 'Lidakense' is now mush for the year. The remaining daylilies had to be half stomped for good measure. The Mugo Pine was at least only half buried in dirt. Oh why, why, don't these people see plants?
Tomorrow I will run another electric conduit pipe for a second electric line in case the well head should ever need an electric blanket for a cold spell. The electric line can also be used in the future for lights and one of them fancy gates that opens and closes automatically. Then I can fill in the trench and repair the damage once more. At least I am getting some new rocks out of this mess.
I will take my comfort where I can get it. On Sunday I yanked out the Caterbury Bells that were done blooming and divided the Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'. The other front bed is finally planted as I have envisioned it. Will it last?
Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' will dominate the bed. A Picea abies 'Nidiformis' will add winter interest. Cichorium intybus, Echinops bannaticus 'Blue Glow', Verbena bonariensis (hopefully it will self sow) and Iron Weed, Vernonia noveboracensis will add blue and purples in their time. Ox-Eye daisy will wander about and bloom early to late summer. The bold, yellow candelabras of the Eremurus will strike a golden note in a waving sea of blues, purple and white.
At least that is the plan.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Satellite Images
Garden bloggers do have a tendency to favor the macro focus. Occasionally we will stand back for a more realistic picture of the garden as a whole. The close images of perfection we gravitate towards are often woven into the larger narrative of the garden, even if we don't always show it. Those tiny bits of perfect beauty often give us the will to move forward in the face of daunting tasks.
It just so happens there is a high grassy hill from which I can look down upon the big picture of my front garden. The dashing flashes of color recede into the green from so high up and can not interfere with an assessment of the bigger picture.
What do I see?
Moving from west to east I see the need for a new fence. The rustic I don't mind. It is the dilapidated that bothers me.
The fence is one of the major permanent elements in an otherwise herbaceous and seasonally ephemeral scene. A few conifers have been planted, but it will be years before they gain stature.
All of this space is a utility easement. Any trees planted, even if small at maturity would be potentially susceptible to herbicide spraying from utility contract workers with poor plant ID skills. Plus this rare expanse of full sun and level ground in the mountain forest must be utilized to best purpose.
The roadside vegetable garden makes the most productive use of this space.
I can see a mid level evergreen hedge row of sorts composed of mixed conifers on the down side of the crest of the hill at the back of the vegetable garden. This could bridge the height between forest and meadow and add a backdrop to the colorful vegetable garden. In winter it would serve as a sign of domestication in the wilderness.
The morning shaded, east end of the roadside vegetable garden remains in wildflowers and will likely stay that way. The vegetable garden is big enough for now. I can see a couple of small rounded shrubs on the right side towards the point formed by the curved shape of the land and the straight line of the fence as an interrupted continuation of the hedge row. Perhaps there are a couple of the dwarf Weigela florida 'Minuet' that need to be bought and planted.
It just so happens there is a high grassy hill from which I can look down upon the big picture of my front garden. The dashing flashes of color recede into the green from so high up and can not interfere with an assessment of the bigger picture.
What do I see?
Moving from west to east I see the need for a new fence. The rustic I don't mind. It is the dilapidated that bothers me.
The fence is one of the major permanent elements in an otherwise herbaceous and seasonally ephemeral scene. A few conifers have been planted, but it will be years before they gain stature.
All of this space is a utility easement. Any trees planted, even if small at maturity would be potentially susceptible to herbicide spraying from utility contract workers with poor plant ID skills. Plus this rare expanse of full sun and level ground in the mountain forest must be utilized to best purpose.
The roadside vegetable garden makes the most productive use of this space.
I can see a mid level evergreen hedge row of sorts composed of mixed conifers on the down side of the crest of the hill at the back of the vegetable garden. This could bridge the height between forest and meadow and add a backdrop to the colorful vegetable garden. In winter it would serve as a sign of domestication in the wilderness.
The morning shaded, east end of the roadside vegetable garden remains in wildflowers and will likely stay that way. The vegetable garden is big enough for now. I can see a couple of small rounded shrubs on the right side towards the point formed by the curved shape of the land and the straight line of the fence as an interrupted continuation of the hedge row. Perhaps there are a couple of the dwarf Weigela florida 'Minuet' that need to be bought and planted.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Uncle Ernie's Domain
He waits patiently for half the year, alone in an empty expanse.
The faintest stirrings of April mature into their full provocative potential.
His purpose now apparent.
The biggest show off at the bacchanal.
The faintest stirrings of April mature into their full provocative potential.
His purpose now apparent.
The biggest show off at the bacchanal.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Filling In
Lysimachia clethroides, Gooseneck Loosestrife is one of the plants the resident gardeners disagree on. One of several. In this case one likes the flowers of the Loosestrife enough to tolerate that fact that it spreads like crazy and out competes most everything else.
It is pretty when it blooms, much like the Goldenrod which also spreads like crazy and out competes most everything else. The roles of like/dislike are reversed in the resident gardeners in the case of Goldenrod. Are the flowers worth the vigorous spread? So it goes down the list. One likes Joe Pye even when it is a pale white. The other doesn't. One likes Tradescantia, Spiderwort even with such small flowers. The other doesn't. They both sneakily kill off the others favored plant, yet there is never a shortage of any of them.
They both like the Hydrangea aborescens 'Annabelle', a cultivar of the native H. arborescens. It has nice flowers and doesn't spread like crazy. It suckers enough to take divisions which is nice.
Crawford is growing up. This is his run ahead on the path, drop and roll maneuver. Maybe he will get a belly rub. Or maybe he just likes to roll in the dirt.
The remaining half of the front bed where the new well went is lush with daylilies. A Mugo Pine and Juniperus x pfitzeriana 'Monsan' will claim more space in this bed over time. That is part of my strategy, to have floral filler while the shrubs grow.
The other half of this bed was planted else where and some sent off to Hot Springs for a friend's new garden. Who knows when the well man will be back. The dug plants couldn't stay out of the ground forever. I might just redo this bed a bit more once the well work is done. I may need another 'Monsan'.
We have turned the corner on the block wall and the back fill for covering a sewer line has commenced. I have to fill in the hole so I can then dig a trench for the sewer line.
There will be a narrow planting pocket between the two walls that can be used to deflect more attention away from the block. One day all my walls will have a nice finished top like wall #3.
Quite a contrast, but it's not so bad. Maybe even interesting.
A good portion of the new walls will be hidden beneath the stairs that will come down to the basement patio from above. They will turn off of a deck extension that will be built to cross the block wall and come down right next to the posts supporting the existing stoop. Then I'll have to decide how to paint them. More red?
Walls, walls, walls and I even managed to get the last four screws on to the front porch metal roof. Now how long did that take?
Cichorium intybus grows six feet tall in in a couple of months and starts blooming like crazy, while the poor Musa basjoo at its feet struggles to grow six inches in our high mountain cool. Hey it survived a minus 4 degree winter. I think it just needs those 95 degree days to really get going. We might have about a week in the summer that even considers getting close to that.
Soon it will be time to divide the Miscanthus again and the roadside bed will be getting closer to its final look.
It is pretty when it blooms, much like the Goldenrod which also spreads like crazy and out competes most everything else. The roles of like/dislike are reversed in the resident gardeners in the case of Goldenrod. Are the flowers worth the vigorous spread? So it goes down the list. One likes Joe Pye even when it is a pale white. The other doesn't. One likes Tradescantia, Spiderwort even with such small flowers. The other doesn't. They both sneakily kill off the others favored plant, yet there is never a shortage of any of them.
They both like the Hydrangea aborescens 'Annabelle', a cultivar of the native H. arborescens. It has nice flowers and doesn't spread like crazy. It suckers enough to take divisions which is nice.
Crawford is growing up. This is his run ahead on the path, drop and roll maneuver. Maybe he will get a belly rub. Or maybe he just likes to roll in the dirt.
The remaining half of the front bed where the new well went is lush with daylilies. A Mugo Pine and Juniperus x pfitzeriana 'Monsan' will claim more space in this bed over time. That is part of my strategy, to have floral filler while the shrubs grow.
The other half of this bed was planted else where and some sent off to Hot Springs for a friend's new garden. Who knows when the well man will be back. The dug plants couldn't stay out of the ground forever. I might just redo this bed a bit more once the well work is done. I may need another 'Monsan'.
We have turned the corner on the block wall and the back fill for covering a sewer line has commenced. I have to fill in the hole so I can then dig a trench for the sewer line.
There will be a narrow planting pocket between the two walls that can be used to deflect more attention away from the block. One day all my walls will have a nice finished top like wall #3.
Quite a contrast, but it's not so bad. Maybe even interesting.
A good portion of the new walls will be hidden beneath the stairs that will come down to the basement patio from above. They will turn off of a deck extension that will be built to cross the block wall and come down right next to the posts supporting the existing stoop. Then I'll have to decide how to paint them. More red?
Walls, walls, walls and I even managed to get the last four screws on to the front porch metal roof. Now how long did that take?
Cichorium intybus grows six feet tall in in a couple of months and starts blooming like crazy, while the poor Musa basjoo at its feet struggles to grow six inches in our high mountain cool. Hey it survived a minus 4 degree winter. I think it just needs those 95 degree days to really get going. We might have about a week in the summer that even considers getting close to that.
Soon it will be time to divide the Miscanthus again and the roadside bed will be getting closer to its final look.
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