Hosta and the old tree
Foxglove and rhododendron
Allium and phacelia
Kalmia, the Mountain Laurel
Monday, May 23, 2011
A Few Pictures From The Garden
Hosta and columbine
Hosta and the old tree
Foxglove and rhododendron
Allium and phacelia
Kalmia, the Mountain Laurel
Hosta and the old tree
Foxglove and rhododendron
Allium and phacelia
Kalmia, the Mountain Laurel
Sunday, May 22, 2011
A Good Time Was Had By All
I think everyone who came to the garden tour was suitably enchanted by the exuberant chaos of the wild cultivated garden. The rhododendron were peaking. The iris were out in numbers.
The phacelia weaved through it all like a magical glue, flowing to a coherence in the chaos.
The garden to be had a few blooms too, Blue-Eyed grass with a bottle backdrop.
The prolific yellow Louisiana iris.
Iris siberica 'Caesar's Brother' is just starting to bloom in the garden to be.
But the really big show was next door where peonies are popping out around every bend in the paths.
Bit players in the high drama like Foxglove might go unnoticed unless pointed out.
It's a lot to take in.
And the stars of the show, the wild and unpruned rhododendron in their natural shape and natural habitat in full glory.
A few people were asking when is the next tour. What will be blooming here next and when?
The phacelia weaved through it all like a magical glue, flowing to a coherence in the chaos.
The garden to be had a few blooms too, Blue-Eyed grass with a bottle backdrop.
The prolific yellow Louisiana iris.
Iris siberica 'Caesar's Brother' is just starting to bloom in the garden to be.
But the really big show was next door where peonies are popping out around every bend in the paths.
Bit players in the high drama like Foxglove might go unnoticed unless pointed out.
It's a lot to take in.
And the stars of the show, the wild and unpruned rhododendron in their natural shape and natural habitat in full glory.
A few people were asking when is the next tour. What will be blooming here next and when?
Saturday, May 21, 2011
A Promise Kept
In a few short weeks it will be the four year anniversary of my arrival on the low spot of a North Carolina mountain top. A big incentive for me to move from a tropical zone 11 on the island of Maui to a high elevation zone 5b in the northern extreme of the deep south was the early inheritance of a portion of this land. I came for the 'aina.
Today the surveyor man was here to measure off 2.3 acres of land, exactly one fifth of the larger parcel. Click on the picture below and you will see pink tape on the second fence post from the right, my soon to be SE property corner.
My land will stretch all the way down to the left side of this picture, probably even a bit out of this picture. I can't match the tree tops to the tree trunks where I know the SW property corner is.
I was planting seeds in the roadside vegetable garden while the surveyor man was measuring. It turns out I won't be a share cropper for the rest of my natural born days. Most of the existing vegetable garden will get titled to me after all the proper processes have been done. There is a lot of legal paper work involved.
In many ways legally owning the land means so much less to me than being with the land, being able to live and garden here. I could have been content to just live here. But the time will come when the other four fifths of the land has new owners and there is no way of knowing for certain what they will want. Having title to my 2.3 acres guarantees I can live and garden on this smaller piece of the 'aina until my own time is done.
I want to be with the whole piece of land of course. I like taking long slow strolls late in the day. Digging up and moving 10,000 daffodils seems like a rather daunting task as I creep closer to my own decrepitude. Let's hope it never comes to that.
Today the surveyor man was here to measure off 2.3 acres of land, exactly one fifth of the larger parcel. Click on the picture below and you will see pink tape on the second fence post from the right, my soon to be SE property corner.
My land will stretch all the way down to the left side of this picture, probably even a bit out of this picture. I can't match the tree tops to the tree trunks where I know the SW property corner is.
I was planting seeds in the roadside vegetable garden while the surveyor man was measuring. It turns out I won't be a share cropper for the rest of my natural born days. Most of the existing vegetable garden will get titled to me after all the proper processes have been done. There is a lot of legal paper work involved.
In many ways legally owning the land means so much less to me than being with the land, being able to live and garden here. I could have been content to just live here. But the time will come when the other four fifths of the land has new owners and there is no way of knowing for certain what they will want. Having title to my 2.3 acres guarantees I can live and garden on this smaller piece of the 'aina until my own time is done.
I want to be with the whole piece of land of course. I like taking long slow strolls late in the day. Digging up and moving 10,000 daffodils seems like a rather daunting task as I creep closer to my own decrepitude. Let's hope it never comes to that.
Friday, May 20, 2011
It Went Pretty Well
The two tiles I wanted off came off with some direct effort and no collateral damage. I removed the grout first.
The backer board came out easy enough with a small hand saw and a utility knife.
After a couple of different approaches, the old water lines were disconnected.
New water lines were taped to the old and pushed and pulled through the tiny hole in the base plate of the wall framing. This felt like genius and made threading the new lines through the wall a piece of cake.
The new lines were coupled to the older undamaged lines. The water was turned on. No drips. Yippee! That went pretty well.
But before I think about doing a tile repair and how am I going to get a stable piece of backer board back in there, I'd better turn on the shower and check that out.
Oh ... Dear ... God! Water is gushing down through the wall. I cut a bigger hole in the backer board to find that the metal "T" the two shower handles and the riser for the shower head connect to had actually cracked on the back side. This piece of metal in the wall froze and cracked.
I think this is a good place to stop for the day.
As long as no one takes a shower, I have running water in the cozy cabin without any drips at all. That's progress at least. Still I think this is a good place to stop for the day. Aaargh!!
Will I ever have time to tend the garden to be? The yellow Louisiana Iris from Fairegarden Tennessee stands tall in the lush. Other new plants may not be so lucky.
The wild cultivated garden does get regular attention from the resident gardener and I always do a little thinning when I stroll through.
This evening's stroll had a special guest, Ms Frances herself accompanied by the Financier. She wanted to be first in line and beat the crowds, I guess.
I'll do a little tidying tomorrow, but the wild cultivated garden is what it is. It will be different in two days and it won't be any different in two days even after I do a little tidying.
Perhaps more peonies will open in the coming days.
More. More is good.
The backer board came out easy enough with a small hand saw and a utility knife.
After a couple of different approaches, the old water lines were disconnected.
New water lines were taped to the old and pushed and pulled through the tiny hole in the base plate of the wall framing. This felt like genius and made threading the new lines through the wall a piece of cake.
The new lines were coupled to the older undamaged lines. The water was turned on. No drips. Yippee! That went pretty well.
But before I think about doing a tile repair and how am I going to get a stable piece of backer board back in there, I'd better turn on the shower and check that out.
Oh ... Dear ... God! Water is gushing down through the wall. I cut a bigger hole in the backer board to find that the metal "T" the two shower handles and the riser for the shower head connect to had actually cracked on the back side. This piece of metal in the wall froze and cracked.
I think this is a good place to stop for the day.
As long as no one takes a shower, I have running water in the cozy cabin without any drips at all. That's progress at least. Still I think this is a good place to stop for the day. Aaargh!!
Will I ever have time to tend the garden to be? The yellow Louisiana Iris from Fairegarden Tennessee stands tall in the lush. Other new plants may not be so lucky.
The wild cultivated garden does get regular attention from the resident gardener and I always do a little thinning when I stroll through.
This evening's stroll had a special guest, Ms Frances herself accompanied by the Financier. She wanted to be first in line and beat the crowds, I guess.
I'll do a little tidying tomorrow, but the wild cultivated garden is what it is. It will be different in two days and it won't be any different in two days even after I do a little tidying.
Perhaps more peonies will open in the coming days.
More. More is good.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Garden Thoughts
Say a little tile and plumbing prayer.
A few columbine
Recessed
Behind bars
Accidental companions
Down in the meadow
The big boys are blooming
Hidden in the forest is a garden, the only one of its kind.
A few columbine
Recessed
Behind bars
Accidental companions
Down in the meadow
The big boys are blooming
Hidden in the forest is a garden, the only one of its kind.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
At Least It Stopped Raining
The cold lingers.
Three days to the garden warming. I think we'll have a few things in bloom.
It's late. I am tired. Not many words to say. I did get half of my new exterior phone line installed. Then it got too dark to see outside.
One more day of work work, then two days of preparation for the garden tour. That just might include shower tile removal and plumbing repair?
Three days to the garden warming. I think we'll have a few things in bloom.
It's late. I am tired. Not many words to say. I did get half of my new exterior phone line installed. Then it got too dark to see outside.
One more day of work work, then two days of preparation for the garden tour. That just might include shower tile removal and plumbing repair?
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Cold Pea Soup
It has been drizzling rain for the last forty eight hours up here on top. Down below I managed to get a full day and a half of work done before the rains finally began to fall.
I am strolless, stretched in a all kinds of directions, never having quite enough time to complete any corrective processes that will lead to a fully functioning cozy cabin. It feels like I could move in now. Most every thing does work. I can even have water if I don't mind the steady drip coming from behind the shower wall. It might be best to fix that first. Meanwhile I gather parts, tools and my wits as I investigate each corrective process that needs doing
My new baby Kousa Dogwood off the front porch has blooms. I am seeing them all over in my travels now, big, solid white and most showy. My baby will grow.
Cold Pea Soup is pretty good weather for planting new gardens One new garden is planted. The second is prepped and ready to go.
I am strolless, stretched in a all kinds of directions, never having quite enough time to complete any corrective processes that will lead to a fully functioning cozy cabin. It feels like I could move in now. Most every thing does work. I can even have water if I don't mind the steady drip coming from behind the shower wall. It might be best to fix that first. Meanwhile I gather parts, tools and my wits as I investigate each corrective process that needs doing
My new baby Kousa Dogwood off the front porch has blooms. I am seeing them all over in my travels now, big, solid white and most showy. My baby will grow.
Cold Pea Soup is pretty good weather for planting new gardens One new garden is planted. The second is prepped and ready to go.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Garden Bloggers Food Day
The average annual final frost date for me is said to be the 15th of May. That is when I can officially plant the warm season vegetables with a little less worry. Less worry, not no worry. Because what did it do today? It got cold. The high was barely sixty and the lows are going to be in the forties for several days. My warm season tomatoes, peppers and squash are not fond of the forties, particularly the squash.
But I am on a schedule here. I bought the starts when it was warmer and they were going to get planted no matter what.
Tomatoes and squash in a vegetable garden piled high with wood chip mulch. They do just fine thank you without any nitrogen loss issues. You might say I am good about adding a dash of manures as an organic fertilizer and nitrogen assist in the rows and each planting hole at planting time, until I run out of manures anyway. I need more manure to finish this year's vegetable garden.
All the purchased vegetable starts were planted, the bean poles were stood up and the remaining rows were raked clean of the wood chip mulch for seeding. A few weeds were pulled and a number of ripe, sweet and delicious strawberries were sampled as I moved about.
The day was getting old, the clouds were getting low and misty and the temperature was shrinking so I decided all the vegetables I will be seeding could wait for another day. Maybe I could seed one row each morning before going to work kind work. But before heading in I filled a sack with two kind lettuce, spinach and radishes. The roadside vegetable garden is already producing food.
May the 15th is noted for another special gardening event. It is the Garden Blogger's Bloom Day Miss Carol of May Dreams waits for all year and then is too busy trying to get everything done that needs doing in the garden to sit still and enjoy. Carol sit still for a moment or go for a walk with a beverage in your hand.
It is hard to take a picture anywhere around this mountain top with out a flower of some kind sneaking into the scene. The roadside vegetable garden's wildflower surround hasn't started blooming yet, but there are a few early performers to start things off.
The new clematis meant to climb on the fence is blooming. It's not climbing yet. I need to remember to add more soil to its raised planter box
And because my readers are so good to me there had to be some blooms for Bloom Day. We've got a few things blooming in the wild cultivated garden right now. May is a good month. Carol is right "to dream of the days of May when the sun is warm, the sky is blue, the grass is green, and the garden is all new again!"
The rhododendrons are looking good. This cool spell should help them last.
Speaking of food. I thought I'd go have one last look at the Showy Orchis only to find something had eaten it to the nub, flowers and all. I have a feeling it was a tall, brown, four legged varmint. In a world over flowing with lush the Showy Orchis gets eaten. It must be some kind of delicacy.
I don't think Miss Collar ate it.
But I am on a schedule here. I bought the starts when it was warmer and they were going to get planted no matter what.
Tomatoes and squash in a vegetable garden piled high with wood chip mulch. They do just fine thank you without any nitrogen loss issues. You might say I am good about adding a dash of manures as an organic fertilizer and nitrogen assist in the rows and each planting hole at planting time, until I run out of manures anyway. I need more manure to finish this year's vegetable garden.
All the purchased vegetable starts were planted, the bean poles were stood up and the remaining rows were raked clean of the wood chip mulch for seeding. A few weeds were pulled and a number of ripe, sweet and delicious strawberries were sampled as I moved about.
The day was getting old, the clouds were getting low and misty and the temperature was shrinking so I decided all the vegetables I will be seeding could wait for another day. Maybe I could seed one row each morning before going to work kind work. But before heading in I filled a sack with two kind lettuce, spinach and radishes. The roadside vegetable garden is already producing food.
May the 15th is noted for another special gardening event. It is the Garden Blogger's Bloom Day Miss Carol of May Dreams waits for all year and then is too busy trying to get everything done that needs doing in the garden to sit still and enjoy. Carol sit still for a moment or go for a walk with a beverage in your hand.
It is hard to take a picture anywhere around this mountain top with out a flower of some kind sneaking into the scene. The roadside vegetable garden's wildflower surround hasn't started blooming yet, but there are a few early performers to start things off.
The new clematis meant to climb on the fence is blooming. It's not climbing yet. I need to remember to add more soil to its raised planter box
And because my readers are so good to me there had to be some blooms for Bloom Day. We've got a few things blooming in the wild cultivated garden right now. May is a good month. Carol is right "to dream of the days of May when the sun is warm, the sky is blue, the grass is green, and the garden is all new again!"
The rhododendrons are looking good. This cool spell should help them last.
Speaking of food. I thought I'd go have one last look at the Showy Orchis only to find something had eaten it to the nub, flowers and all. I have a feeling it was a tall, brown, four legged varmint. In a world over flowing with lush the Showy Orchis gets eaten. It must be some kind of delicacy.
I don't think Miss Collar ate it.
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