Plumeria and Primroses

Last year, when we went to WDW, I got myself a little souvenir. It wasn't much to look at, just a forked stick. But the promise was enticing. If I took that stick and planted it, and watered it, and made sure that it got plenty of sunshine, it would grow into a plumeria tree. So I bit. I took home the stick and hoped that some of that Disney magic would bring this little stick to life. I planted it in special succulent soil, and put it in a sunny window until the days got warmer. Then it sat outside on our patio all summer long. About 2 months in, it began to grow little spikes on the top. These spikes lengthened and unfurled to beautiful, shiny leaves. It was magical. By the end of the summer, it looked something like this. Lush, vibrant and healthy:


And then the temperature dropped, and I had to take it inside. According to the directions, I wasn't to let the plant go dormant in the first year. I was to keep on watering it, and then the next summer it would burst into bloom. So I put it next to our one sunny window in the house and kept my eye on it. Every so often I would notice dirt on the floor, and then the leaves started to spot and drop off, and I got suspicious. I went in for a closer look, and smelled the unmistakeable odor of cat urine. The cats were using my precious plumeria as a litterbox! By the time I realized it, it was too late. The leaves were dropping every day, and my once lush plant looked sickly. I must, at this point, admit that I kind of went crazy on the cats. Or more specifically, cat. I knew that it could only be our male cat, Jasper who was defiling the plumeria. I googled for remedies and found several suggestions for deterring the cats from going in the plant. But first I had to bring the pH level back within normal range. So I flushed out the pot, running water through it several times until there was no odor left. Then I took skewers and placed them around the dirt to keep the cats out. Finally, we put the plant on a stand in the middle of a wall, where the cats couldn't reach it. After all this, the plant lost every last leaf, but one.

This last leaf has hung on for at least a month, and I think the plant is going to make it. But it is a sad shadow of the plant it used to be.
We are many months away from the 60 degree night temps that I need to put the plumeria back outside. Hopefully by then those little leaflings will have fully sprouted, and the plant will make a full recovery.

Right now, in the dead of winter, spring seems so far away. I have had enough of this snow and ice, and am starting to feel the burden of the cold temps and dark days. So, yesterday, on an impulse, I introduced another little plant into our house because it was so cheery, and spoke of the promise of spring. "Soon", it says, "soon!"

Now I need to figure out how to keep those cats far away...

Blossom- "I just want one tiny lick, I promise"
Jasper- "Hey, what do you have up there?"

Jasper- "Let me take a closer sniff, that soil needs some 'Eau de Jasper', I think"

Jasper- "Me, a plant killer? You must have me confused with some one else. See, I don't even care about plants!"

Kid in a Candy Store

You know those things that you see while shopping, and you can't seem to pass by without checking them out, and somehow rationalizing a purchase? For some it may be pocketbooks, shoes, or jewelry. I can usually walk by these things with just a small tug of longing. They don't bring on the quickened heart rate and middle of the gut ache when I spot my two main weaknesses - books and flowers.

As for books, it has to be a used book sale. I like a good book store as much as anyone else, but I don't go in for paying full price on a brand-new book. No, for me, it is the corner of the library with the stacks of used books, priced for a reasonable quarter or fifty cents. I have to really think hard about if I want it if it is as much as $1. I can't seem to resist going over to check out the selection, even though I know I have piles of books at home, both mine and the kids. I usually end up coming away with a new treasure or two, and I seem to always justify my purchases by reassuring myself that I am helping out the library.

As for my other weakness, I literally have to talk myself out of purchases. Spring time brings out my appetite for all things gardenly. I pore over catalogues, take long walks just to see what other people have and how they have planted it, and try to figure out how I can get the same effect. For this reason, going to San Diego was torturous! To see every single house planted with gorgeous, flamboyant, lush, spectacular gardens was both a treat for the eyes as well as an ache for my heart.

My own garden seemed so sad, so pathetic, in the face of these gardens of eden. How could I dare to post pictures of my own little irises and peonies,
knowing about the eye-popping beauty of lantanas, cannas, and hibiscus that are commonplace in other parts of the world? I admit, there was a little bit of embarrassment involved- that I would dare to think my common place garden was something worth sharing. But then I returned home, and there really is nothing I can do about my climate. I realized that I need to be thankful for what I have, and even if it isn't at the same level of beauty, my garden still warms my heart and brings me pleasure, like the simple sight of water droplets clinging to a grassy stem.


So I entered the season of planting and buying. Like I said, my weakness. It is very dangerous for me to enter a garden center or nursery this time of the year. Every flower seems to call me to it, and my mind spins, wondering where if I could find a place for it in my already bursting flower beds. It can get pretty expensive if I don't hold myself back. Fortunately, this year, I had a couple of budget friendly acquisitions. First, in early April I went to a plant exchange. I got together with a couple of friends, and we all brought some divided perennials. Everyone went home with a nice new selection of plants, and the best thing, it was free!


I also used birthday money towards some new baskets for the front porch, and I found a place that had gorgeous baskets for half the price of other nurseries.
I also couldn't resist these begonias!


Today I went on my annual trip to the nursery of all nurseries. It is a beautiful place, garden beds laid out with paths that show both sun gardens and shade gardens, a pond and vegetables. It has it all. The flowers are of excellent quality, which means they are a bit pricier. But I was able to get a couple of annuals using a birthday gift certificate, and spend some time getting ideas. I usually go once or twice a year, and it always feeds my soul.


I was reflecting on my love of growing things and gardens and it occurred to me that my parents picked out a perfect name for me. I think I was destined to be weak-kneed over a perfect blossom from the very start.

Mulching

Every couple of years we get several cubic yards of mulch delivered to our driveway. I would love to be the person that gets it all neatly shoveled onto the flower beds within a day, or even a week. But it seems to sit for weeks, gathering "helicopters" from the maple trees, and long strands from the oak trees. Last time we had it delivered, we actually got too much, and the remainder of the pile sat there for a whole year, until the following spring when I used it up. The neighbors must have been horrified! Anyway, I was trundling wheelbarrows across the yard yesterday, with two little helpers. Both KK and Addie were eager to use their little beach shovels to pat down the mulch around the flowers. It must have seemed like a fun game to KK, because today she came up to me, shovel and bucket in hand, "Mommy, please I can do the dirt?". How could I resist? So what if she was wearing a white shirt, and the mulch leaves black stains? I showed her where to dump her mulch when her bucket was full, and left her to it. About half an hour later, I realized that she was still working! Face flushed, dirty knees and hands, she was completely absorbed in her job.

Digging into the pile

Mulch covered

Getting up

partially full bucket
dumping
off to get some more

With a little helper like this, it won't be long before I'm scraping asphalt.

Flowers

Around this time every year I expectantly await the return of my flowers to the garden. Yesterday I was walking around, taking pictures, and thinking about how they are kind of like old friends. They have been there through several seasons of my life (literally and figuratively). I know them, love them, and they bring me great joy and, even, comfort. Some I transplanted from my old house, some are transplanted from others' gardens and bring those people to mind each year when they flower. It's fun to walk around and see the little leaves poke through the soil, and both remember how beautiful they were in years past, and anticipate what they will look like in the months ahead.

Here is a fun quiz for you gardeners out there- can you guess what plants these are? Since they are in their "baby" stage, it isn't easy.

Answers are at the bottom.

A.
B.
C.
D.E.* Extra Credit*F.



A. Iris B. Day Lilies C. Peonies D. Spiderwort E. Hydrangea

F. I am not sure what this is. I think it might be a corn flower, but I am not positive. Here is a picture of the flower- if you can give me a positive ID, that would be great!

Spring Ahead!

It's March, and I've got the itch- the gardening itch. I always feel a sense of anticipation and excitement this time of year as spring feels like it is literally around the next corner. I can smell it in the air, and see evidence of its imminent arrival. Like these little crocus tips poking through the snow by our front walkway. Through the cold weeks of winter, I have warmed myself by spending hours poring over gardening catalogues, and online gardening websites. I have made lists of what new plants I want to purchase, and mentally envisioned where I will plant them. Today I was thrilled to discover Costco selling bags of tubers and bulbs. The bright pictures of flowering glads, dahlias and peonies were too tempting to pass up, and I had to hold myself back from buying more. It will still be several weeks before I can go outside and start the real gardening work, but I thought I would try to force some forsythia. After about a week inside they are just about to bloom, and I will soon get my first taste of spring. Just a little appetizer, before the feast.

Zinnias

I was lamenting to Ed how my current camera does not do these flowers justice. I would looooove a really good camera, but since that is so far off the radar, as to be a dream, I must find contentment with my little point and shoot. At any rate, no matter what camera I use, the beauty of creation still shines through in these little flowers.


Addendum:

After reading Josh's coments, I realized that I had failed to notice the little setting on my camera that let me take close up shots!! LOL is right! So here are a couple that I took once I realized my mistake. ..

Before and After

First off, thank you for all the dieting support-- I have been doing really well. I think the first day was the hardest. Once I got some snacks that could tide me over, I was fine. I also found a lunch that I really like, and that I would eat, even if I weren't trying to lose weight. Jess had suggested that I take 1 slice of jarlsburg lite (Trader Joe's), 2 slices of turkey, and put it in 1/2 whole wheat pita with a little light mayo. I don't really like pita, so I found some whole grain tortillas with rolled oats and flax seeds at TJ's and used that instead. I also added a couple leaves of lettuce and then myself a wrap. The whole thing is about 230 calories, and delicious! So between that and the eggs for breakfast, and a morning snack of edamame, I was only at 450 calories by lunch. I then snacked on carrots and popcorn in the afternoon, and had a smaller portion of dinner than usual. I found that I wasn't really that hungry, and I would just pop a couple more carrots if I was. And for a little treat, these were awesome:
They are light and crispy, and have a very chocolately flavor that totally satisfies that craving with only a few. The serving size is 13 (110 calories), but I never ate more than 8 a day- a couple at a time, spread out in the afternoon when I needed something sweet (Thanks again, Jess for the tip!)


Anyway, the end result is that I reached my goal- 5 pounds! And if you think that title was talking about before and after shots of my mummy tummy, you've got to be kidding me! Yes, I feel like I lost a little, but I am not able to post that kind of photo yet, nor will I ever be.

I actually was talking about some yard work I did today. There is a corner of our house that we haven't gotten to in the past couple months because of our busyness. I thought I would tackle it today, since the weather was so cooperative (a cool 65 degrees). It is amazing what an hour of weeding and mulching (12 wheelbarrows full) will do:

Before:

After:

Our Garden

One of the hardest things to leave behind at our old house was the garden. When we first moved in, the place had been neglected for years and there was ivy growing everywhere. The terraced backyard was covered in vines, wild raspberry bushes, and weeds- all the way down so that we couldn't even reach the top terrace. Little by little we took back that yard. Chopping down dead trees, exposing and then rebuilding stone walls and stairs, pulling out ivy and planting flowers, creating a play space for our kids on the top terrace overlooking the neighborhood. Our backyard became a place of beauty and retreat, our private little space. When we moved I dug up some of my favorite plants- coral bells and lillies that my grandmother had divided from her garden and given to me, sedum, day lilies and spider wort. All of it survived except the sedum, which I replaced this spring. I also left behind a lot of flowers that I miss- pink peonies, lavender, allium, and phlox to name a few. Whenever I drive by I crane my neck to see how the garden is doing, and I still mourn the flowers I left behind. It may seem strange to dig up flowers to take on a move, and grieve the ones you didn't, but I think there are other gardeners out there who understand.


Anyway, the first year in our new home I didn't do much. I wanted to see what came up, and where before digging around. I planted some annuals and left it at that. I was pleasantly surprised to find peonies, irises, a beautiful rhododendron, and LOTS of day lilies. Last year Ed did a huge amount of digging and created a beautiful new garden across the front, and I ordered lots of baby perennials from a catalog to plant in it. Since they were immature, the garden still looked pretty bare last summer and I had to buy lots of annuals to give it color. This spring I was thrilled to find that many of those perennials had lasted the winter, and were now lush and mature. I will need to replace some that died, and they will fill in the bare spots, but I hardly had to buy any annuals this year. I made a trip to the nursery and used a gift card from my birthday to buy a beautiful blue-green hosta (I still would like a variegated one, and am on the lookout for friends who have some to divide-hint, hint!), a peach coral bell, some little lavenders and a sedum. We also spread mulch this year, which totally makes a different in appearance and weed maintenance. I have to say that I am quite pleased with the effects. I don't cringe inside anymore when we pull up to our house. Instead, I have a little thrill at the beauty of the flowers. There is still a long way to go- a whole side of our yard has been, and still is neglected. There are trees to chop, branches to chip, weeds to pull. The work is truly endless, but so are the rewards.