Faerisweet's Garden Diary

8 Jun '07 9:30 am

Your plans sound wonderful.I too, can't wait to see some progress pics.

8 Jun '07 1:00 pm

Speaking as a teacher, Faerisweet-

the best kind of parents seem to be those where the kids congregate, and the parents aren't entirely satisfied with the arrangement!! Enjoy them. They keep us on our toes. And it is wonderful to be in the countryside, with space and tranquility. I would never have gone back to teaching in the city.

9 Jun '07 12:19 am

They probably do gravitate to you at least in part because you have other things that drive you and make you happy. I think they like to see that there are good things ahead as they get older. Making them the center of everything doesn't give them anything to look forward to except 'going to seed' themselves. Healthy of them to want to hang with you, healthy of you to have things that interfers with.

11 Jun '07 6:03 pm

Jack, sorry I didn't answer the question about the tree, it is some type of Oak tree I believe. I haven't seen any acorns yet, only lived here a few months tho. but the leaves are shaped like the oak at our old place. I haven't gotten much done in the garden this week, been busy getting my son packed up and ready to go. He is in a program where he stays at a college dorm for 6 weeks in the summer. He will be home on weekends only. Looks like my summer will be a little quieter.

12 Jun '07 1:24 pm

I envy your enthusiasm regarding your plans for your new garden. It's great when you're at the planning stage. Mind you, the planning never stops, does it? Smile

As I'm in 'hibernation' mode, I'll sit back and let you do all the hard work and I shall make encouraging noises from the sidelines. Very Happy

Good looking children btw. Smile

12 Jun '07 7:08 pm

Anna, now if I can only get past the digging stage, lol. As I get older this part seems to get harder. I have gotten a bed dug out, getting all the grass and weed roots out is a pain in the back, literally. I have bought several plants for the bed and some decorative items, yes I am one of those that like a little whimsy and Dixie inspired me to try a fairy themed garden. Thanks about the kids, I think they are gorgeous but then I may be a little prejudiced.

13 Jun '07 5:16 pm

I have been feeling neglectful over not getting much done in the garden and with summer heating up here, know I am not going to want to be working excessively in the heat. Especially once we start hitting the triple digits. So far we have only been in the low 90's here. So this morning me and my daughter got out there and finished digging Banjo's flowerbed, pulled all the grass out and as much of the roots as we could, raked it well and planted it. I will try to post some pics tomorrow, it was too late in the evening to take any decent shots when we finished. It looks a little bare because the plants are not all that large, need to grow some. I planted some red lobelia, bleeding hearts, autumn fern, japanese painted fern, sword fern, hosta patriot, hosta standard, hosta fortunata, hosta marginata, hydrangea nikko blue, violets, creeping periwinkle, astilbe, coleus, impatiens, begonias, and a beautiful groundcover plant (can't remember the name right now, will find the tag later) it is a foliage plant, silvery and fuzzy soft like lambs ears, it has ivy in the name I think, it spreads across the ground. It is really pretty, I think, kind of unusual for me to be so taken with a foliage plant, I usually reserve my affection for flowering plants.
Lately I have noticed I am appreciating more of the foliage plants, maturing as a gardener? Or maybe just finally realizing everything doesn't have to bloom to be pretty. Speaking of foliage plants, I was going to put persian shield in that bed, but found out it needs more sun than that bed can provide so found a sunny spot for it instead. Anyway one bed done several to go, if I can keep the dratted grasshopers at bay.

14 Jun '07 7:26 am

Your comment about triple figures made me anticipate something awful. So I downloaded a chart (from www.metric-conversions.org ) and discovered 100 F is 37.7 C. Hot, but no hotter than it can get on the mountain in midsummer, and pretty standard summer temperatures down the mountain. Still - I know what you mean about gardening in the heat of summer, Faerisweet... Best done before 10 in the morning and after 5.30pm. Today I heard on the radio of 52C in India - that's nearly 130F if my arithmatic is correct. No wonder 100s of people have died of the heat.

Anyway - by the end of summer you won't believe how your new garden has grown. Wish you joy!

14 Jun '07 5:01 pm

Jack,
I forget that most every one else in the world does the metric thing. I have to admit I would be lost, it's like a foreign language to me. Most people in America still use the old fashioned measurements for everything, size in feet and inches, travel in miles, and temps in the old farenheit measurements. Our average summer temps are in the mid 90's but we get alot of 100 + degree days, especially in late July and August. I prefer the spring and fall weather, but then doesn't everyone?
It seems like this year with all the rain we have gotten (yay! the drought is over) spring has lasted longer than usual, I know alot of the wildflowers that normally die out in the heat are still going strong right now. The other day I was out shopping with my daughter and we literally just had to pull over on the side of the road in awe. The hillside of an overpass was completely covered in color. It really looked like a huge flowerbed, full of black eyed susan, coneflower, evening primrose, gallardia, indian paintbrush, wild blue phlox, and some type of taller purple flowers that look kind of like lavender. Of course I didn't have my camera but my daughter took a pic on her cell phone, I will try to get her to d/l it for me so I can show you, if she hasn't deleted it yet. I say we had to pull over in awe but truth is she would have driven on by given the choice, not as much of a flower nut as her mom Sad

BTW I checked out that conversion site and must say my weight sounds better in metric, Laughing

21 Jun '07 5:31 pm

I have been busy this week with things around the house and not able to do alot on the computer. Kids are on summer break from school, thankfully they both passed. Only 3 more years of high school for my youngest and 2 for my oldest. Anyway my poor camera broke so the only thing I have for pics right now is a cell phone camera. Oh well, another thing I will have to replace this year.
So here are the pics of the new flowerbed, it isn't that big and the plants have alot of growing to do, but it is a start. I will deep adding to the garden a little at a time. I just can not do it as fast as I want unfortunately, but I will get there eventually.

Faerisweet's Garden Diary

Ditto from me too

LOL

I like the way Jack put it.

The tree

garden

One bed down, many to go...

Summer heat

metrics

first flower bed in new garden