To all my much-missed friends

7 Aug '07 10:07 pm

Well, here I am again, hopefully this time for a lot longer than before! We seem (fingers crossed!) to have come through the busy period, although we’re still three members of staff down (and that’s rather a big difference, considering we’re an office of seven normally!), but now the schools have broken up, I think most people are now going on holiday and organising children’s activities rather than buying houses. It’s been a funny old year so far – busier than I’ve ever seen it, and I’ve been here for nearly eight years, although perhaps it’s just my perception that makes me feel busier – at the beginning of the year, I had an assistant who was very nice but basically, I ended up doing everything myself (grr!); now, I have my previous assistant back (she went away travelling in June of last year) but only part-time, so perhaps I’m just missing having someone (good) in that role all the time! Consequently, I just felt that I had to take a step back from a few things to get through that time, otherwise I might (and I’m really not exaggerating or fishing for sympathy here!) go into meltdown! Anyway, enough of my problems, which really are miniscule when you think about it, but seem huge when you’re actually going through it!

My garden’s been coming along nicely, although I believe it’s still very much in its infancy. As I can’t afford to go around splashing out on loads of expensive plants, I’ve been growing some things from seed and looking out for special offers: hubby got me a subscription to Gardeners’ World Magazine for Valentine’s day – much better than a cheesy card and a bunch of flowers that would normally cost half as much at any other time of year! – and they always have great offers for their readers. I’ve also been taking it slowly, realising that I’m not going to get a perfect garden in just one season.

I’ve got cherry tomatoes growing really well and am v excited about tasting my very first one! I’ve got three plants in a grow-bag and one other in a pot which I actually thought was a French marigold to start with but, when it started growing, I thought, hmm, those leaves are rather tomato-ish and then it flowered and I thought, ah, those flowers are distinctly non-marigold-ish – and now it’s fruiting, so I’m going to have rather a lot of tomatoes to eat, seeing as hubby doesn’t like them! Hee hee – luckily I’m a great advocate of the “pick and eat while you’re pottering” school of thought: ever since I was a child, I’ve thought that was the best way to eat veggies!

My neighbour gave me some lettuce seedlings which I grew on and we’ve enjoyed a few times, along with the rocket which I grew from seed (more on the way – I’ve read about successional sowing!) which is a million times better than the bland efforts you get in a bag at the supermarket! I’ve got carrots coming along, although I’ve left it a little late to get very many, I’m sure, plus the cats keep sitting on them (argh!). I also dug up my garlic the other day and they all look and smell totally fab, if a little small (see pic below) – Pumpkin, you’re the garlic queen around here, have I done something wrong or is it simply that the shop-bought ones are forced to grow so large? Not that I’m complaining, as I’m sure there’s enough there for just two of us to get through! Oh, and another thing: how is it best to store the bulbs? Do you leave the stalks on? And how long should they last generally? Also, everywhere I read says that you should dry them and then store them, but they never say how long you’re supposed to dry them for and how you tell when they’re sufficiently dried!

I have treated myself a couple of times to new well-grown plants – my first treat was a honeysuckle, Lonicera ‘Scentsation’, which I’ve planted against the house wall to climb up and (hopefully one day, if we haven’t moved house by then) waft its scent into the bedroom in the mornings – well, that’s the general idea anyway!

My second treat was a spur of the moment thing. At work, we advertise in a lot of local parish magazines and, a couple of weeks ago, a lady came in with our complementary copy of one of these. I flicked through it to check our ad as I always do and I spotted an ad for a [plant] nursery just down the road from our office. So, ignoring my work pile and pleading potential insanity if I couldn’t get out for an hour, I went along at lunchtime and had a wander around. There, I spotted this pretty little Speedwell/Veronica (can't remember the specific name), and thought, what the h***, I deserve it! So, it is now sitting in pride of place, right in the middle of the back border, next to the fuschia.

My Wild Flower garden isn’t going as planned unfortunately – I sowed loads of seeds, in lovely rows within random sections, but only one variety has germinated and grown (and I’m not absolutely sure about them anyway – they seem to be in rows which would suggest they’re what I’ve sown, but they don’t actually look like anything I chose but maybe my memory is befuddled – I must find the pictures on the web site again and make sure (I’ve lost the original packet, but it was a well-known brand so hopefully they’re still doing that selection!). My lovely neighbour did give me some little plug plants that she got from a local plant fair (I didn’t know about it, otherwise I’d have gone too!) but I don’t actually know what they are now – she did tell me but I forgot and I’m too embarrassed to ask again!! I’ve grown some asters from seed which seemed to be doing really well and I’m wondering if I’ve planted them out too soon as they’re getting munched rather quickly, even with nightly covering with cloches – I’m reminded of one of Liza’s posts last year which she entitled “Butterflies love the asters”, unfortunately in my experience, so do the slugs!

I have to say that the weather has been dreadful so far this year, apart from a very few glorious days dotted around, like last weekend, but apart from that, when it’s not been raining buckets, it’s been generally miserable anyway – certainly not the summer we were promised! Consequently, everything’s running a bit late I think – I just hope there’s enough time for everything to flower, fruit, set seed or generally do what it’s supposed to do before winter comes around again!

My New Dawn Rose had four flowers this year but, like a complete idiot, I never got around to taking any pictures, but it’s actually showing signs of more new growth so I’m hoping for another round later in the year (I am right in thinking this is a characteristic of the New Dawn aren’t I?). The sweet peas are doing me proud, well, one plant is anyway - I’ve had a vase of them on my kitchen windowsill non-stop for well over a month! This is the one and only plant that survived over-winter: the others are all spring-sowings but are slowly getting there. I am finding, however, that I’m so scared of letting one single flower go to seed that the whole plant will stop flowering, so I can’t help myself from denuding the plants of all flowers and they’re not really adding to the overall aesthetics of the garden! Ok, I know, the garden still doesn’t look very much at the moment anyway, what with so much bare earth, but like I said earlier, it’s a work in progress!!

Here are a few pics:

7 Aug '07 10:24 pm

Here are some more pics...

7 Aug '07 10:27 pm

....at the moment I had just changed my avatar, I noticed your letter! What a bliss to see you back!! I read everything, and I noticed you've become a veggy garden specialist!! What a wonderful success! But I have also to say, that your Fuchia Maggelanica looks extra happy, your blue Hibiscus Syriacus as well!!

Yes, this Summer has not felt really a Summer around here,so sad...With a very bad impact on the plant and human life...

But I'm leaving you now, already waiting for your next post!! I have to dash out, to my garden babies... I dread what I will possibly face...probably weeds climbing the Roses, Oidium, and other gardening pests...

Sending lots of hugs and warm welcome-back-s!!!

8 Aug '07 2:58 am

It was so nice to see your long and chatty post this morning. Your vege plants look great and so do your new plant purchases. As for the wild flower garden, don't despair too soon. I recognize plants that look like Lupines and Geraniums, so I don't think any of them are undesirables. Wild flowers look slightly scruffy prior to blooming anyway.

Glad you're back.

8 Aug '07 9:55 pm

Hi Bambi, I think your garden is wonderful. You are having a grand time, as far as I can tell. You know, the more stuff you have, the more you have to do. This is what I'm finding now that we have 7 separate flower gardens in the front yard! And this is not counting the numerous flower pots and planters. For me to give everything a quick watering it takes me near an hour and if they need a feeding or a deep watering, it will take me an hour and 20 to 30 minutes, and they need watering everyday with the 30+ C temps we have been having. Stifling heat!!

As for me, I don't quite feel myself and I think this is why I haven't been posting much at all anywhere on the Net. When my dad passed last December it shook me to the core and although I try and put on a brave face, inside I am very sad (and I'm not looking for sympathy either, just telling things like it is). I do come here every day and read what's new, but it just isn't in my heart to be lighthearted and I don't want to be a drag or depressing, so I don't post anything and lament. I will be posting soon, that's what I keep telling myself, and it's true. I will be.

I am not working this summer. Not professionally anyway. Instead I have deemed it appropriate to stick in the yard and do all the things I have not had time to do because I was always so busy working on one thing or another. The back yard was in a total mess! After many days of effort I can see a time when I will be able to do something other than clean things up and organize stuff. I am in the garage now and have it almost cleaned up. Some of the mess I'm cleaning is 4 years old, so it's like being an urban archeologist and uncovering tools and things long lost or forgotten. It's a major effort.

And then after the garage and the back yard, there is the basement. Oh how I cringe when I think of that job of cleaning that place out and up!

Deborah is having a good summer so far. She is finally in therapy for her shoulder and the doctor ordered her a new power chair and she will only use the manual one on occasion once she gets her new power one. Poor thing can hardly wheel herself anywhere with that bad shoulder of hers. She and mom have been having a grand time in the gardens with much debating over placements and other ideas and things. We found a new nursery just on the outskirts of town and it is a real good place. Lots of plants and reasonably priced. Mom bought 2 big rose bushes for the new big front garden. I bought a rose for $3 and now it has bloomed into 3 beautiful big flowers so far. We are eating strawberries off our own plants for the first time. I planted rhubarb and it is coming along well. Our raspberry bushes I bought for fifty cents each last year because they were supposed to be dead of dehydration are going completely bonkers and are huge! I have 2 pumpkins just starting to branch out and they are going great too. Actually, there is lots more to tell, but I will be posting in my thread soon, I promise.

I think it is only the rare gardens that are complete. I think most are works on the go.

By the way, you should think about learning to propagate plants. All you need is some rooting compound and a little perlight or peat moss and away you go. Collect slips of plants and grow new ones from the slips. Cheap and easy.

As ever, you friend,

Christopher the Garden Gnome

9 Aug '07 1:32 am

Dear sensitive and tender friend! Dear Christopher....I must say, I understand wholeheartedly your sadness, but don't you realize how many wonderful news you just posted for us?? That means , that apart from your natural sadness, your mind and your life are active and creative!!That is OUR Christopher! And your dad would never wish his boy to feel a long-term sadness....

Please, be back soon!! I know you will!!

Lots of hugs for you and Deb!

9 Aug '07 3:37 am

Ok, I'm going to do this in chronological order, not in order of importance because you're all equally important!

Liza, I somehow knew you would be the first to reply to my post - I don't know why, I just had a feeling it would be that way! Thank you so much for welcoming me back in such a lovely way, particularly as you are only just back from your own holiday! I have read of your time away and seen your photos which are all sublime and I, too, am delighted to hear that your lovely beach has been saved from over-development - I know exactly how you feel because I have a childhood beach which I pray is NEVER developed (it has looked almost exactly the same since MY MOTHER was a child!). Yes, I am enjoying the feeling of growing veggies (even though I haven't got to the tomatoes yet!) and I am surprised how well my Fuschia and Hibiscus are both doing, seeing as they were both nothing but twigs a few short months ago!

I hope your own garden has forgiven you for leaving it (as I have no doubt it will have done already!) and that you manage to catch up with all you have to do.

Faith, thank you for your kind words too. Yes, the wild flower patch is a little scruffy right now, but I live in hope! The geranium was something I actually found growing in the lawn, so I dug it up and transplanted it to where it is now - the same with the nigellas, in fact - I didn't particularly expect them to survive, but they're both doing really well by the looks of it!

And Christopher, you have pretty much hit the nail on the head when you explain why you haven't posted much lately - I don't want this to come across in the wrong way but, although my worries and cares are insignificant when viewed next to your own, unfortunately our emotions don't always conform to cold logic, do they?! Anyway, thank you for saying my garden looks wonderful - I suppose it's easy to criticise one's own work and see all the flaws when you can look close-up! Yes, even I'm finding that the watering is no quick job - it's a good half-hour before I'm finished, and we've not had temperatures like you over here! It's nice getting all those jobs done, isn't it - my hubby is on school holidays at the moment and he's doing the same thing at the moment which is lovely; good luck with the basement! And I hope Deb is feeling more comfortable with her shoulder now, and that the power chair arrives very soon!

Re propagating: that's a great idea - I'm going to be popping down to my parents' in Devon in a couple of weeks and I think there would be a ideal place to start - I could take cuttings of loads of plants there and have a veritable forest in a couple of years! Hee hee Very Happy

Thank you all, my friends, and "see" you soon!

Bambi
x

9 Aug '07 4:34 am

I know Christopher didn't mean to take over your thread Bambi and I don't either, but I did want to add my own little word of encouragement for Christopher.

Losing people who are integral parts of our lives is never easy, so cut yourself some slack. It is normal to be "shaken to the roots" at a time like this. From my own experience though, getting involved with anything that keeps your mind occupied does help. And you don't have to feel guilty about letting go of the pain. I agree with Liza that your dad doesn't want to see you sad; and I can assure you he is aware of your feelings. Look closely for the signs that he is offering comfort whenever and wherever he can. You will instinctively know when they come that they are from him.

Now to Bambi, Christopher's idea was indeed a grand one for increasing your stock of plants in a very economical way. I know your Mom probably can help you with knowing what to try propagating. It will be like visiting a wonderful nursury where all the plants are free for the taking.

9 Aug '07 7:25 am

I have not visited for a couple of days.What I have just been reading (with a tear or two),is truly the essence of this wonderful site of people who really care.All your photos of the new beginnings in your garden,Bambi is very encouraging.Christopher-thanks for explaining -thoughts will be with you and your family.
Group Hug
Dixie.

9 Aug '07 9:27 am

I'm with Dixie. It's hard to chirp and joke when one's thoughts are heavy with clay, and mud. And none of us likes to write falsely - that's one of the best things about our caring group of forum friends.

Bambi - great to see you back. And blast the concept that gardens can ever be finished!
Christopher - you are a legend! And all your family are legends, I reckon.

I've been sooo busy in the real garden that I haven't been posting much. I get tired when I come in, and I don't write well at such times. Again it's the honesty problem - all I feel like doing is moaning 'poor me', and I can't subject you wonderful folk to that!

Warm hellos and lots of love to everyone, though - I'm writing this first thing in the morning! hee hee. Hey - where's young Jack?

To all my much-missed friends

To all my much-missed friends

More pics

My lovely, much missed, friend,...

Welcome back Bambi

Of absent friends

Sadness....

Sorry to hijack your thread Bambi

Caring and kindness