Into The Lush

Summer has arrived and I was able to spend the day in the wild cultivated gardens doing some much needed editing. Four kind dried beans were also seeded in the roadside vegetable garden.

It will be nice when I can spend the entire day in the gardens and it isn't my only day off. One can hope.

The month of May was completely discombobulated between travel and a week of monsoon rains. We got seven inches of wet last week.

Everything grew to Lush without me it seemed.

My schedule was in disarray. Work was backed up and piling up. I was in a constant state of catch up.

I'd come home and wander into the Lush where Monet still lurks in the vibration of shadows.

Briefly calmed and noting things that need to be done. Later. When I have the time and energy.

The garden grows on without me.

And it was good.

I keep coming up with plans to make it better. Why I wonder. For whom?

This garden of mine

Where I will remain until the end of time.

Where The Waters Will Carry Me Away

I went for a walk between thunderstorms.

To gaze upon giant dancing spears

The Carrion Flower on an island where the waters flow.

There has been rain. The first gully washer of the time of vegetation passed through a fresh and perfect spring garden. It was absorbed.

What dings and dents will come in the blue light of a mountain's shadow? This perfection can't last.

Where the waters will carry me away.

The tomatoes and peppers are planted. The feral parsnips are rising to bloom. The squash and cucumber department is germinating in trays. It is time to plant the dried beans. The top four miles of scenic byway is freshly paved. Today we got paint. Just keep pedaling.

The First Mowing

It was time.

The maintenance gardener finally got around to mowing his own paths. One simple element of order makes a world of difference. There was also some ruthless culling of New England Aster and one kind Goldenrod.

It's still a jungle out there,

In the wild cultivated gardens.

The Mountaintop Gardens In May

I'm doing good to go for a walk in the gardens when my walking apparatus is mostly used up by the time I get home. Little energy remains for putting words and pictures on a blog. It has been a beautiful spring. The daffodil showing has been the only casualty - so far. I can at least show you the pictures I have.

In Bulbarella's garden, the phacelia and rhododendron are in full swing. The Lady in her best Slipper is in the house. The paths have been freshly mowed. Go wander.

My garden is more about foliage. Bloom is a bonus. A lone Black Iris called me into the garden. The first path mowing remains undone. Go wander.

A Few Flowers For Bloom Day

If I told you that today I planted tomatoes and peppers, tidied the roadside vegetable garden and surrounds, slipped in some Blackberry Lily and Gladiola, cleaned the water filter at the wellhead, planted eight baskets and two pots of white impatiens, mowed the paths in the ridge top garden and turned the water back on to the roadside vegetable garden, would you forgive me for not having the energy to take a lot of flower pictures for Bloom Day? Plus, it started raining.

It doesn't happen often at this elevation, but every fourth year or so, the bearded iris buds survive the spring freezes to put up a few blooms. There have been a few extra irises in bloom this year. The Barton's Cypress did not fare so well. They got major winter burn. They should be green by now.

I saw a deep blue columbine close by.

Magnolia 'Jane' is also in bloom. The flowers are just shrunken in size from the killer freeze last March. That is it for my Bloom Day. Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens for more.

Lady In Waiting

We are back from Florida. The packing and purge went very smoothly. The papers were signed. The deed was done. Next comes the movers and storage and the estate sale. I took pictures and may have something for show and tell on another day about the 100 year old house my grandparents built. The Lady will have to tide you over. The return has me juggling to keep my own house in order.

The next small item to attend to is buying another house in Florida closer to her other children. By the way, Florida sucks! We would rather be on the mountaintop where bluebells and phacelia bloom.

A Walk With Bluebells

Over in the garden next door. Click on a picture for the slide show. The one hundred year old house and garden my mama grew up in sold and is closing shortly. We have to go down to Florida to move. 

There will always be Bluebells.