Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Sweet Sixteen

So, as completely unbelievable as it seems, Bean turned sixteen today.

The age where you finally get to drive. 


Of course, with this Gramerly, he has ever been in the driver's seat. 

The memory of this day is so clear, like it was yesterday.  We were playing in the garden when he heard his Pap pull in and stop to get the mail.  He ran, like every time, to meet him and drive the truck on to the house. My little dirt dauber.   Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

We shared so very many adventures. 


I mean seriously, could you resist this face.




He's always loved to fish.  We spent hundreds of hours at the creek, doing what a friend termed "bobbering". 


He's had the police called on him several times for fishing in the neighborhood lake.  A friend at school makes tee shirts, so I had this made for him. 



I hope he has many, many more happy birthdays.

In Jimi news, we sadly returned to the hospital today in the same fashion as three weeks ago.
It seems they just can't get treatment, on which his life depends, kidney and liver, to mesh.
Again, I had to leave him unable to press a call button or get a drink.
I am, on one hand, too sad to hold up my own head, on the other hand,  life goes on in this Covid craziness doesn't it? 
I would think I would become resigned to our medical system, to watching people that I love fiercely, leave me, one part at a time, until only memories remain. Yet,  the fear, angst and heartbreak never gets one bit easier. 








Sunday, July 26, 2020

Nipping

I've been out in the garden this morning, while it is still cool, to do some nipping.    I don't really like to take food from the tiny ones, but I know if I don't, then the plant will not produce as much.  As hard as I've worked on this garden, I hope to see flowers till frost.
Any morning, but Sunday mornings seem a particularly good time to reflect on God's blessings and creation.



In my little tutoring and enrichment groups this summer, our focus was butterflies and color.  I wanted to make a bigger than usual splash with our final project.  I always love when supplies and directions are the same, but the end result is so different. I loved these. 


 A ton of stuff pops up on my fb and one of them was a guy making bread  in a weird to me way with just one tsp. of yeast, cold water, salt and flour.  I felt the need to try it.
It is by no means the same caliber as Rae's sourdough, but  the crust was so crispy and it would work if you needed it. 

 I was gifted a huge pack of wildflower seeds through Amazon.  I was delighted and actually had time to really prepare and care for the bed.  It was perfect as I am turning the old garden bed into a mini wildflower prairie.  Well, that was the intent.



The first thing I noticed was what I believed to be nasturtium seeds rolling out.  That wasn't listed on the package. Well, thought I, I'm not positive of what seeds to all eighteen plants should like look, so maybe they look the same.

Nope, it was nasturtium, which I love, aaaaannnnd that is about all.  The seeds popped up immediately and I dutifully tended, watered, fertilized and weeded.  I weeded weeds.  In addition to a couple of baby's breath plants, and black-eyed susan, this is what I got in spades.

It looks like a cross between lettuce and dandelion, but is not eaten by deer or insects, and has yet (planted in April) produced any type of flower. Clearly, it must happen for them to have gotten seeds. 
Note that bag, not a thing on it about the company or the seeds. That should have been the first red flag.  So, I've been complaining to Amazon and whoever thought it was a great to package weed seeds to sell.
The bigger problem is, I learned that Amazon pays with products for people to give reviews.  I used to love that I could look through the reviews and get a good idea of a product.  Now, I have no idea.  Sad. 

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Bits and Bobs

What a privilege to have some space to plant, and observe, wonder and think on the absolute delight of God's creation.
I will surely miss the time I've had in my yard, tending, nurturing, discovering.
I believe Miss Tasha Poppy has blessed me with her last bloom.


 I reluctantly dead headed the first two flowers, not wanting to risk not having seed pods for next year, but not wanting it to stop blooming either.
She's bloomed for a solid month,  just one flower at a time.
The seed pod is such an interesting design, to the point of being magical.  When all the petals fall you have a seed pod with a sweet crown on top.
 In order though to get the seeds out of the pod, little tiny windows open around the base of the crown for poppy seeds to exit.


When you consider that what is contained in those seeds has for centuries been a blessing and a curse, well, I stand in awe. 
Several from the wildflower mix I planted are blooming.



And tubers and other seeds I planted.





Two more plants from the seeds I brought from Vermont.


 Finally, a snake bean bloom.

 I guess I'm a slow learner.  For years I planted a bazillion dollars worth of perennials in the big garden area.  I have very little to show for that. It was a long time dawning on me that the area holds too much water and I guess it just rots roots.

I have managed to grow a little spot of peppermint, and lemon balm, a few irises and peonies.

 

 Remember when you used to get those big garden catalogs  advertising a entire perennial bed for little money.  Well, I made that purchase and they were basically little tubers and bits of root stalk, but I faithfully planted and tended them.
This hibiscus has faithfully returned for thirty years.  Funny, because hibiscus is not ever been a favorite, but the fat bumble bees would argue and I admire its tenacity.




I am steadily moving my garden closer and hopefully to a bit drier ground.


Thursday, July 16, 2020

July's Garden

You know the old saying, " A watched pot never boils."  Well, it has felt that way in the garden. Possibly because I go out to stare at every last thing at  least three times a day, oh since March.  It seems like it has finally come to life this last two weeks.  I still go out three times a day, but usually at least one of those times I find a little bloom that wasn't there before.  My delight as I try to fill my days.
I wasn't real sure about my decision to put the old crib, where this boy slept, into the garden beds.  I mean here, they look sort of goofy.



Boy, am I glad I did! This is from one little ol' two leaved tromboncino plant Rae and Michael gave me.


This is my favorite tomato-Costoluto Genovese. That is why I put it in the bed. You can barely even see the crib side behind it. 



And the dill and cucumbers-



I sent pictures to the bed builders telling them it was sad how poorly it all was doing.

I grew snake beans last year and saved some seeds.  I remember that they start oh so slowly, then vroom.  These are going a little slower though, than the ones off the side patio.




Probably because this shiso (perilla) was hogging the resources.


So, I found it a new place to live.

Mom's bed has just been in overdrive.
We were here in May-
 And now-

The areas around the bird bath and the old clothes line pole were pitiful.








The front garden was also fairly sparse, but has finally filled out and I love it.

 With some additional Fairy Ball accoutrements .

 Today I planted buckwheat where the cilantro and lettuce were spent.  I also did some serious deadheading and clipping to prevent the plants from getting too leggy.
Here is a sink full of the trimmings.





 The second tromboncino I picked for fried squash and a lemon cake I want to try.

I filled some jars with the flowers from the sink. 





 How does your garden grow?