A garden walk with a Gnome

2 Sep '07 6:51 am

I hope the turn of the season finds you all in good health. I am gaining keen insight into that term "good health" as I have been rather ill since about August 7th. I think I got zapped with West Nile virus but the blood work isn't back yet. It's been a real horror show. Flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph glands and no energy, major body pain and aches. But these last few days I've been feeling more like myself and have been able to resume activities in the "clean up the yard campaign."

It's been quiet this summer, so far as work goes. That's work of a professional nature. You know, the income generating type. But this has been okay. It was my choice because I wanted to get caught up on all the different jobs I had lined up around the yard and in the house that I have to do. I still have a whack of them to do and this bout of illness has really set me back and angered me. But I think I'm back on track now.

Deborah has been enjoying her summer. No major hospital stays for her and she has been in therapy for her shoulder which has been steadily improving. She finally got to see her physiatrist (a physical rehab doctor) and has had a new power chair ordered up for her. Deborah has never had a power chair. She has always been fiercely independent with her physical capabilities. She used to play basketball from her wheelchair. I was after her years ago for her to get a power chair, but I learned. Only now that her shoulder is really giving her grief has she decided that a power chair would be a good idea. Now that she has warmed up to the idea, she's really excited about the new level of mobility and freedom this is going to allow her and this makes me happy too. I'll have to get a bicycle now so I can keep up.

Our gardens have been a saving grace for me. Once I'm out there happily toiling away, I seem to be removed from all that is bothering me. This summer we made our North Fence Garden almost 6 feet longer and I moved all the cone flowers to the new end and mom and I planted close to 30 straw flowers in the other end. All tall plants and I think we are going to make the NFG for all tall plants next year.

We added 3 new gardens to the front yard and now there are 7 separate gardens filling up the landscape as well as a big bunch of planters and pots. Two of the new gardens are very small and fill in the space beside the deck, but the third garden is huge. It's a half circle as wide as the deck (12 feet). There is a raised center for a stepped effect.

We went crazy at our newest place to buy plants, called "The Plant Ranch", and bought all kinds of unusual and beautiful plants for the new half circle garden. You will see in the pix. Mom bought 2 beautiful full sized roses, one for each side.

Speaking of roses, Deb has had some beautiful results again with her mini roses. she has several pots of them along the south side of the house. I bought 2 roses early in the season, both are full size. One I planted in a spot prepared special for it in the front corner of the front yard beside the end of the South Fence Garden. It bloomed a most lovely big yellow bloom, 3 of them. The other rose was planted by the tool shed that borders the fruit garden (our old veggie garden) in the back yard. It is a climber and is growing nice and tall, although it has no buds yet. Most curious.

Ah yes, the Fruit Garden. So named because we planted strawberries and raspberries and a Saskatoon berry bush there last year. This year I added rhubarb that is doing nicely and Deb got 4 tomato plants that have gone nuts and are growing like mad! This year we moved the strawberries to Deb's raised planter so she could tend them and pick them and this has worked out well. One of the plans we made was to put in a big cement pad in the back yard and place Deb's raised planters all around it so she could move from plant to plant by herself. I dare say this will be way more easy once her new power chair is here.

We managed to grow 7 hollyhock from seeds we collected last year and mom and Deb decided to put them in the South House Garden and they are doing real nice there along with some dwarf asters.

My pumpkins are doing real nice and are huge already! Not much happening in the secret garden. We just didn't have a lot of extra plants this year. Our planter count is way down, too, from where it has been. It was up around 70 or so but it's nowhere near that this year. I've almost got the garage cleaned out, which means I've almost got the back yard organized and once that task is accomplished then I will be able to do more fun things like work on Dixie's marionette and complete some long awaited promises around the house.

The floor has rotted out on the greenhouse; after all, it was just the old back deck that I built on. So the whole thing will be dismantled and rebuilt a little bigger, as well as level with the back door so Deb can go out there any time she wants without my help. Right now it's about a 4" drop.

I don't know what else to tell you. Deb and I are making plans for the yard for next year already. Of course there's the cement pad for out back as well as a new big planter to replace the 3 barrels by the front ramp (Deb thought of a planter shaped like a Viking ship or maybe a canoe). We also want to put in a path that goes completely around the house and convert most of the front lawn into flower beds, and let's not forget plans for the grotto, too. Can we ever have too many plans?

So that's it for now, my friends. The season is changing but autumn was always my favorite time of year anyway. Enjoy the pics.

Christopher

2 Sep '07 7:55 am

What a lovely show-something special in every corner!
I am so sorry you have not been well,and Deb's shoulder causing her so much pain too!
hopefully your family have turned the corner now and things will be looking brighter for you-you deserve the best,as you have brought so much fun and imagination and inspiration to us here.
I went to a plant swap a couple of weeks ago and brought home a lily that is supposed to be pale apricot-I do hope it is like yours as it is gorgeous.Today I am planning to re-pot my miniature roses too-I bought some new soil for the pots yesterday as I have found they do better with fresh soil every year.
I really like the bricks edging the gardens as they have a cosy cottage look,and the barrels are cute .
Dixie.

2 Sep '07 9:37 pm

Our sweet Chris!! You are with us again!! You made me SO happy today, by seeing/reading your new lovely post!!

You said you got this strange flu-like illness, and I am happy that you are better by now...But I think you know, that the more we are sad , the more our anti-bodies get lesser... I remember your sad previous post...Right now, I feel an explosive optimism and positive attitude from your part -- which means your antibodies will work as the best ever guardian angels again for your best....

Deb's news are exciting!! I remember, in my secondary school for physically handicapped youngsters, that my students there used to play baskeball and volleyball with the amazing talent I see some boys playing in certain BBC pubs! And they participated every time in the Special Olympics with great success! With their new modern wheel-chairs , they exploited their capacities even more!! It was a wonder watching them in action!!!

Ah! Your garden photos!! What lovelies!! Those Daisies!! That adorable little pale-pink rose!! But, I think , Chris, you have become a better photographer, too!! Not only the blooms are lovely, but the captures/compositions themselves! Lovely!!

SO!! Welcome again, our lovely Chris-Deb-Mom!! We missed you SO!

3 Sep '07 7:12 am

I wondered what you were up to when I noticed you were online for a long time yesterday while I was checking out the latest Forum posts. I was hoping that you were preparing a long post and my hopes proved to be reality when I logged on today. What a nice catch-up post it was too. I too am sorry you have been ailing for almost a whole month. West Nile is a very nasty thing, but treatable.

I am excited for you and Deb both in your anticipation of the new power chair. You are probably right that you won't be able to keep up with her anymore. That and all your plans for making all the areas of the gardens more accessible for her are wonderful things to look forward to.

All you gardens are lovely and seem to be flourishing, so I don't think the illness slowed you down as much as it might others. So glad to see you back.

3 Sep '07 10:52 am

Hi Chris. That is quite a haul of garden moments. I like the shape and the look of the double decker half moon garden. I think the tall flowers along the picket fence really stand out well against that fence because they are tall enough. I like the roses, coneflowers and african daisies but the one that looks intriguingly different to my eye is the last one of the Strawflower.

I remember watching flowers come up in the greenhouse while you were waiting for the last freeze to plant out. I wonder how many of the plants we see in these pictures have over wintered in the ground where they grow? I'm guessing the Purple Cone flowers and roses did so. I suspect it takes a lot more knowledge and effort to produce such a full garden in your more demanding climate. Looking good.

A garden walk with a Gnome

A garden walk with a Gnome

lovely show

Heartwarming surprise!!

Aha Christopher!

Many treasures