Lost in Laurelindorenan

I have just finished reading the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy for the hmmmm, 11th time, but it has been long and long since last I visited the golden bowers of Middle Earth. It has been close to twenty years, perhaps more since last I wandered down the leaf-strewn bowers of amber-coloured sunrises and rose-bedazzled sunsets.

I am glad I went there. Even as each page turned to the next, I found my heart refreshed, my cares forsworn to other days, my woes caressed to sleep.

Galadriel's Song

I watched the movie first, this time, and then read the books. I have a VERY rare copy of the set, The Hobbit & the Lord of the Rings, a Second Edition revised Taiwan edition, fourth printing. A collector values them in good condition as approx. $200.oo for the set. The paper is fine, and thin, with no foxing, but is slightly yellowed with age, now that the books are 40 years old. They even include all the maps! So it was a treat to read the set again.

Although, as in the many times before when I went there, I find myself in a fey mood... I wonder that this Age of Men has lost the ability to see the wonder all around us, the bird faerie, the shining waters of the dew as it drips from the limb of slender tree in misty woods.. It is all around us, and yet, in today's dreary need of job, and time, and pressure to perform, we lose sight ...We lose our humanity when we forget the wonder which God has Blessed us with each and every day. I know I need to MUST set aside a time each day to remember: remember the breath of the trees, remember the cool grace of shadows on my face, remember the laughter of sunlight there as well. To breathe all this remembering and make it part of my day, so that it does NOT get lost. So that I can walk through these days of our lives in a grace of forgiveness and rememberance which brings a deep and lasting joy in our hearts.

Galadriel's Lament

And I found this little gem of a Blog
Distracting From the Now
where she tells us that the King's Foil, the athelas which cures Eowyn and Falamir, and Merry or their wounds given by the Dark Lord's minions is Wintergreen, and as I know Tolkien did not spring The Lord of the Rings full grown from his forehead like Zeus did Pallas Athena, but instead, he used history and transformed it, he remembered it for us. Rememberings of the Light and our endless struggles with the Dark within.. I believe her. I need to get some of this plant, and plant it 'round about the graveyard in our woods by the banks of Wolfdancer Creek. I believe it will grow there. And when I go down to sit with my Beloveds there in the woods, I shall remember them, as well, and I shall break off a leaf and smell of it's healing deeply, and I shall remember.

Have I said that I am looking forward to Peter's new film, the Hobbit? I am! And now I am starting The Silmarillion. I wonder if they will make more of Tolkien's Tales into movies? Peter Jackson has the world in his heart, I hope to see more of his visions! Yes, I admit it, I am a LOTR nerd, a Hobbit in my heart. Brave but Foolish!

I hear that Kindle will make books obsolete, but I cannot believe that. A Kindle may fail, a battery may fade, the data irretrievably lost, yet a book, well kept, will remain your friend forever. Kindles and e-copies have their place, I think ANYTHING which brings the gift of reading to people is a joy ! a Light in dark places! But I will keep my friends the books, and I will hope and pray that those who go beyond me find a way to value them. Because friends they have been to me in darkest times.

May you find a book one day which speaks to you in friendship.

>^,,^<

Bloom Day !

My Sweet Honey bought me the most romantic Valentine's Day Gift! A Nikon CoolPix 12 megapixel digital camera! OMG *bounce* It is AWESOME! Has macro, zoom, and VIDEO !

In celebration, I went wild at the Garden Center. So thanks again to May Dreams Gardens and Bloom Day Feb 2011, here goes:

Sea Thrift


Donkeytail Euphorbia


Zebrina Mallow


Pansy


Winter Honeysuckle


Kerria - Japanese Rose.. (sorry the image is sideways, my computer is giving me fits! I'll try to correct it later as the 'puter allows)


Vinca Minor


English Daisy


Snow Cap Rock Cress


Erisymum en masse Again, sorry for the sideways image *grrrrrrrrr*


Erisymum


White Flowering Currant


Knautia Macedonica


MYSTERY PLANT! Help me identify this beauty, will ya? VERY VERY hugely loverly fragrant! A light sweet "White Shoulders" kind of fragrance.. Could this be my missing Witch Hazel?


Primrose double orange


All these delightful beauties are at McGregor's Nursery! Sure would love to see you!
http://mcgregorsnursery.blogspot.com

Happy Gardening!

>^,,^<

The Book of Changes

By the look of the date of my last Blog post, I shouldn't wonder if all believe that I have disappeared into a puff of blue smoke. Au Contraire, Mon Amis ! I am still quite lively and still making terrible landscaping mistakes in the Pacific Northwest.

At this moment, I am drenched with a goodly or Godly, depending upon your viewpoint, amount of good ol' fashioned PNW clay, and Teufel, about evenly mixed and measured with weeds and grasses stuck between my toes. I have been working vigorously upon the "New Do" of the Perennial Winged Garden. Greig moved one of the "lost bath tubs" into the garden, and in a group effort, the Good Folks of Wolfdancer Creek hoisted it up on blocks with a slight incline towards the drain hole, stuffed several buckets of river rock and then 4 squished peat pots covered with bags of Teufel and Black Gold. Then I stuffed it with plants! The vholes and the crack grass took over my last attempt, so this time 'round, I thought I'd mix it up with big containers. I planted Zagreb Coreopsis, one white double Crazy Daisy, and then some Firebird Penstemon along one side to help hide the exposed cast iron innards, and planted a deep purple cup and saucer Campanula Canterbury Bells, a cluster of three Delphiniums, a line of different types of Rudbeckia - Irish Eyes and the standard Black-Eyed Susans- then along the back, Echinacea, Liatris, Queen Victoria Lobelia, Cosmos, and a Joe Pye Weed(Eupatorium maculatum) a striking bee attractant along with Monarda, Joseph Kline and Blue Stockings. The front of the bath tub will have a curry plant, a silver Artesmia, and a bunch of pansies and violas. I figured I'd hope for a naturalization thing. :~)

Along the side of that planting, along the next blank space after a butterfly bush which will REQUIRE! heavy pruning this year! I stuffed a bunch of petunias in a Radio Flyer red wagon, and in a broken fountain. The fountain also has dwarf trailing snap dragons in it. First time I've purposefully planted annuals.

I'll take pictures. I have a new camera, and am trying to learn how to use it.

:~) We're Sanctuary here. :~) Life is Good. Bright Blessings!

>^,,^<

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day

Drat drat and double drat. Having had one of "those months", I was unable to get my pictures developed. The derned mortgage company asked for a check, cashed my check, and then did a direct withdrawal on top of that, thus double charging me. So I have had to be very frugal, and limit my spending to canned cat food and medicines for Sunny the ailing kitty --Fatty Liver Syndrome due to stress. I spent two months solid giving her 100-150 ml of subQ injections of saline and normal saline with electrolytes twice per day, and tempting her pallet with canned tuna mixed with gourmet canned cat food. She has now OFFICIALLY turned the corner, and gained TWO POUNDS! YAY! - and my monthly 300 pounds of raw chicken quarters for the Song Dogs. For myself, I have been gleening treasures from the freezer. :~) And once per week when I get to see my friend Greig, he brings dinner makin's, and I cook them.

But there has not been that silly little millimeter extra to pay for the development of film. So my Garden Blogger's Bloom Day pictures are all at the developers awaiting my tender checkbook ministrations!

Got some nice shots of last call roses, a couple of erysimum varigatas who shall NOT give up the ghost! some moss phlox, some tarrying black-eyed susans, and a few berries. So my pictures shall be late! You will have to take my word that there are still some hardy lovelies up here in the nippy Pacific Northwest.

Yesterday, I startled four swallows or swifts -deeply "V"d tails, stark black and white color, smallish birds - who had been busily de-bugging our third greenhouse. How delightful! They flitted along the roof line of the filmed roof, and then made a beeline for the open door.. One I had to help a bit, he got confused. All got out safely! And I hope they know they are well and truly welcomed to come eat bugs in our greenhouses any ol' time they wish!

Happy Blooming!!!

>^,,^<

That's IT! The Winged Garden is having a face lift

I'll bet you thought I was kidding when I said I was "busy making terrible landscaping mistakes", well, dang me, dang me, it's all true.

One of my biggest mistakes, and one I shall never repeat, let me assure you! was mulching for the Winter with straw. bright, fresh, bedding straw. Which, as the Spring came creeping along, germinated into lush, rooty, tall and pugnacious grasses. They have completely over run all my perennials. Plus, they have harboured the shrews and vholes, the bane of my Winged Garden's existance. Those evil rodentia ate the roots off all of my phormiums, and my EverGold Sedge. I don't even know what else they got their grubby little mitts on!

So this Winter, as the weather permits, I am going to pull, yank, cut and pummel the grasses into submission. Once they are properly submissive, I plan to use the newspapers that I have been collecting for 2 years, and lay them down to smother what's left. I shall cut out holes and spaces for the remaining perennials who are still fighting the good fight.. Such as a wonderful Geranium sanguineum 'Elke'.(or cranesbill) that I propogated at Clackamas Community College with jenny Ward 9the greatest propogation teacher in the whole wide world!); 2 beautiful Firepower Nandinas ; a Common Upright Rosemary Officianalis which is not listening to the naysayers about its' tenderness in my Zone; the Buddleias - a Royal Red , a couple of Black Knights ; and a couple of the standard Common lavender with the orange centers .. And most of the Lavenders made it. The Scarlet Monardo made it, as well as the Salvia Officianalis 'Purpurascens'. Mine's a much darker purple, tho, and it always sings as I pass by it. (You know the tune! and lookie what I found!) I think the golden sage made it as well. The Lucifer Crocosmia made it, but I do not know whether the Emily McKenzie made it, (I have another pot of that in the greenhouse, tho.. Yay!) and I don't know if the Solfaterre made it... I shall have to find another, and protect it from the ravages of the root scourges. I LOVE the foliage of this crocosmia!

Everything else is either smothered, yet to be re-discovered, or sacrificed to the dining pleasure of the shrews and vholes. Whom, as you remember, I loathe.

So, I think I shall do my best to remove all the grasses, lay down newspaper mulch, cover that with a thick layer of bark mulch, clean around the surrounding plants, and mulch heavily with the back chips.

Then I shall drag my ceramic bathtub up from the blackberry prison that it has been trapped in, and fill it with soil. I shall plant my phormiums and some trailing plants in the bathtub, something which will hide the back of the tub. Then I'm going to collect all my wine barrels, and cedar boxes, and place them around inside the Winged Garden, and plant them up with the plants which the vholes and shrews showed such interest in. I'm going to pull out a big stump, and put my solar-powered fountain on top of it, and my two sun chasers around.

A new look! A new plan! Perhaps a little ambitious, but I'll bet it'll look pretty cool! Well, this is exactly what Winter is for. To plan how to correct terrible landscaping mistakes!

>^,,^<

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

Thanks to the Wonderful Garden Faes at Carole's place, I am at long-last able to get some bloom pics up for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day and a tad early, since tomorrow's post will be about the Blog Action Day on Global Warming. (I hope you shall join me there! Or at least read my post :~)

So! Once again, I had to borrow blossoms from the Garden Center which one day, in a Universe Far Far Away, will have its' website up. Yay Verily. So withot further ado, here goes....


Irish Eyes Black-Eyed Susans. These green-eyes beauties are just lovely in a mass planting! I'm going to add some to my kniphifia along the frontage road..


Everyone at the Garden Center helped with this display. We hosted the Good Morning Estacada breakfast meet & greet, and held it in our display area, full of fountains, and flowers. I baked cookies for three days!


The baby Crepe Myrtles! After getting lost in shipment during a heat spell, they decided they liked us, and started blooming. I simply MUST have one for Wolfdancer Creek! Where's that darn shoehorn???


The habeneros are finally fruiting. Yes, I know, not blooms, but YUMMY hot! I ain't eatin' 'em, tho! My Mama dinna raise no fool!


I sure like this display.. Mums and Weigela.


I caught the rain drops on the penstamon. I love penstamon. Such a happy little shrub.. All gypsy wild and freely giving of its' richness of blossom.


Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens...


Last but definitely not least, roses.

Thanks for coming along! on my magical mystery tour...

>^,,^<

Wake Me When It's Warm Out There

We have now had our first "official" frost. October 4th, o'dark hundred. It was a light frost, but it heralds something I had much prefered not to deal with yet. I am still lodged firmly in Summer, and the rest of the world has glided into Winter. How did that happen? I still have to put my garlics to bed for the Winter! EEEK! I shall endeavor to do that as soon as I get A day off from work.

I have managed to give the Sundance Kitty her 150 ml of saline subQ. *happy*happy*joy*joy* She seconds that emotion. She hates it, and her poor skin about the top of her shoulders is all prickly with needle holes. She looks like a closet junkie who's trying to go straight, hiding the tracks between her toes. She just hates it. She feels so much better when I give her her injection, but she doesn't connect the prick and discomfort of the cold saline squishy beneath her skin, and the immediate increase in appetite and perkiness.

I am saddened greatly that I can't take her to the Vet's. I know what she needs, and obviously I can do the daily-to-twice-daily administrations of saline, but I can't afford the office visit and the meds I know she needs. Vets are charging $50.oo just to open the door and say hello now-a-days. So I worry and feed her tuna, and give her injections. So if you have time, send a prayer for her to rally and get well.

It's been a crazy week, heck, in all honesty, it's been a crazy YEAR.. It seems to have just flown by so quickly. I find myself very resistant to that idea. I have grown accustomed to the gentle caress of sun and breeze. Winter can come, and I will embrace it, but I'm NOT DONE with my tomatoes ! :~( People keep telling me that this how you know you're getting old, is when time begins to fly by.. But I will NOT go gentle into that good night! I will, by God, shake my fist and rave! rave! to the dying of the light.

I am wearing my thermals now at work, with gloves, and 2 pairs of socks, thermal socks with wool socks over them in my heavy duty water-proof & insulated work boots. (Yer Gardener wears army boots!) We don't have our wood stove installed, it was pulled out around February when Marcos & Tim finished the display room. Turns out that wood stoves, when pumped up good and hot, turn drywall into a flammable, compustable fire fodder. You couldn't touch the handrail wall without getting uncomfortably toasted. So they removed the stove so we could insulate the walls with stone, and install a stone flooring for the stove to safely rest upon. And there it sits, still nekkid, still un-insulated, stove-less. And now it is getting downright nippy inside! My customers miss the cheery warmth and flicker of the stove.

I got my referral to the orthropedic specialist, it comes at Thursday Nov. 5th. Now we shall see what my options will be for my poor beleaguered hip.

And speaking of tomatoes, which we were, but much earlier, I have tried a new method of preserving my tomatoes. I gathered and cleaned and sliced up several pounds (close to six pounds) and I dried them in my dehydrator. When they were done, I placed them in a tall capped jar, and layered them with fresh basil. Then I poured extra virgin olive oil up to the top, capped the jar, and placed it in the fridge. Hopefully, they will turn out yummy. Next time, I think I shall call them done out of the dehydrator a couple hours earlier, and make them not quite as dried. That will be the only thing different. It looks beautiful, like garden jewels. And I like sun-dried tomatoes in omelettes and other dishes which call for tomatoes. I didn't use Romas, as everyone said I should, because I don't much care for the TASTE of Romas. I used the big juicy heirlooms that I grew. They are REALLY tasty, and this drying process is SUPPOSED to intensify the tomato taste. We shall see.

>^,,^<

Autumn Maple Helicopter Dragonflies

The leaves are beginning to turn their Summer tresses in for showier fare. My Coral Bark maple is a shade of orange which is so vibrant it shimmers, it hurts the eyes, it hurts the brain to gaze too long at it, and yet I cannot tear my eyes away. It is beginning to acquire the pagoda-look I love so much about these delicate dainty Japanese maples, and although it is still quite small, not even three feet tall yet, it is every bit as lovely as I had hoped it would be when I planted it.

It's partner in crime, the Fern-Leafed Maple, while taller and wider, is also doing its' job displaying color in an area which had been devoid of any color besides grey and green. The Fern-Leafed Maple is dressed in deep burgundies and bright reds, her skirts flirt and skirl with every errant breeze, her leaves the size of my hands.

In between the two maples is my Rainbow Leucothoe, which I think I need to transplant. It is too far into the shade, and is not picking up the rich violet hues this evergreen shrub is noted for. Its' leaves swirl with chartreuse and creams, held erect with red stems. But it needs those violets and reds in the leaves to shine as it should.

These three are doing just exactly what I wanted them to, tho. Fall color, and Winter interest along the pond ridge.

At work today, the wind picked up and it has been quite cold. We're due for a bit of a freeze tonight, and I have some plants to protect in my garden. I have my paw-print beanie on, and chamois gloves. I've not been warm all day. I forgot my thermal socks. As I was walking out to show a customer a soil mix, the wind snatched up a load of maple seeds and tossed them hither and yon. They floated down on helicopter wings like whirlygigs, hundreds of them. They filled the air with silent flitting spinning dragonfly wings.

I let my Inner Child -never very far from the surface- out to play, to wonder, but none of the grown-ups around noticed the wee miracles spinning from the heavens like little post-it notes from God, and they were all too busy to wonder with me.

I'm sorry they missed it. I am glad I was watching.

>^,,^<

To Bee, or Not to Bee, and Other Veggie Tales

Well, 2 days after my wee Bees showed up for a Staycation at Wolfdancer Creek Farm, the bee house blew out of the wee Grand Fir (ain't she Grand!) and they swarmed off in a huff. Since they weren't IN the bee house, only huddled between the walls of the bee house and the trunk of the Fir like small tiger-eye beads bee-decking the fragrant green of the needles, there wasn't any harm to the bees... I was quite concerned!

Poor wee dears. I hope they know how welcomed they are here.

It's been brutal hot here, we've broke records for heat, and continous hot days. I may have lost my trained larch /sadness! And my evergreen huckleberries are taking a terrible hit.

And I just have not felt much like cooking. Imagine that. So, when my friend Greig came over after he'd been at the Estacada Farmer's Market selling the Zark Galactic Emperor's Finest Soap, I defrosted a nice roast I had had tucked away, and went a'foraging out in the garden.

Now I have not been able to even LOOK at my Gardens, only have had time to put water on everything as frantically as possible; work at work, and water as frantically as possible THERE, try to deal with the fairly intense pain that my slip & fall on-the-job accident has incurred, (standing and walking without being able to sit and shift every hour feels like walking with ground up glass between my hip socket and my thigh bone) Try to deal with the fact that my manager is one of the most truly unhappy humans I have ever met, and takes it out on everyone around her. I am afraid that she is trying to make this job intolerable, trying hard to make me quit, or worse, let me go (or in her words "take me off the schedule" because I cannot "do the job I was hired to do") because of the accident. So I am trying to work hard to put myself in her shoes, and understand her viewpoint so that I may be kind. And still watch my back. *wry chuckle* It's Tricksey! Trying to keep the remainder of the new Guinea hens alive, trying to keep the Song Dogs happy, trying to fight the stupid fleas which are going CRAZY with this heat, and havingthemselves a hatching from HELL-o operator! Give me the flea police..

So yesterday, I went out to see if there was anything ripe I could add to the bar-b-q'd roast for dinner. I found 2 mostly ripened Celebrities, about the size of a very large lemon. I found 1 nicely ripened Abe Lincoln. I found 1 nicely ripened Stupice. and a whole bowlful of Sun Golds.

So I am thinking I need to journal what I liked, and what I didn't like, and why. So far, there is no dislikes!

The Celebrities, as per usual, were DELICIOUS! even not-quite ripe, they were tangy, good acid, nearly seedless, and juicy. They had greenish shoulders still. I should've left them on the vine for one maybe two more days. But one had a bit of a hole, so I figured I'd pluck it. About 3 1/2" in diameter.

The Abe Lincoln was also VERY flavorful! A nearly perfect tomato, it was round, bright-dark red, Great acid tang! Really has that "old fashioned tomato flavor"!!! About 3" in diameter.

The Stupice was DEEP bright red! a medium sized 2" in diameter tomato, it had an almost sweet tangy taste! For a very early tomato, I was VERY pleased with the taste! I will definitely grow this one again! Extends my tomato growing season by about a month.

The Sun Golds, of course, are so sweet with a bit of tang, that they are almost dessert tomatoes. They are prone to spliting, tho, so I try to pick them right away when ripe, wash them (IF they make it inside!) and dry them off by placing them on a paper towel. If I leave them to air dry, they will split. Putthem in the fridge right away after blotting them with the paper towel so as to avoid the umbiquious fruit flies. I like them cut in half in a bowl full of large curd cottage cheese. YUM! OR by the handfulls fresh and warm out of the garden.

I added a young cucumber out of the garden, and just cut them up. No salad dressing, just a bit of salt and pepper. We felt like tomato connoisseurs!

I am excited that the Abe Lincoln, a heritage tomato, turned out so well, as did the Stupice. I am looking forward to seeing how the Carbon Black tomatoes taste, and whether the Bonnie Bests are worth growing, since of all my 'maters, the Bonnie Bests seem always to be having troubles. Curley leaves, or yellowy. Now I know I'm not groing tomato leaves, so I will have to see if the taste is worth the extra effort.

I'm kind of excited to be doing this taste test! I know others are doing it, so perhaps Hanna of This Garden is Illegal will help me out on descriptions.

I planted:
Box Car Willie
* Abe Lincoln
Stupice
Glacier
Carbon Black
Bonnie Best

Early Goliath
* Celebrity
* Sun Gold

I think that's it...
Next year, I'm going to add:

Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red
Dagma's Perfection
Gary Ipsen's Gold
Cherokee Purple
Nyagous

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
happy Gardening!

>^,,^<

Sunny Beaches!

Well, no beaches here, but lots of sunshine and the grasses (which I have not been able to QUITE control) are blooming with a surfiet and copious amount of pollen. I awaken each morning ready for Zyrtac! MMMMMMM Zyrtak. Friend to Allergic Gardeners Everywhere.

Seems we have 2 new ferals since the coyotes took my wee friend Dinkum /sadness.. I miss Dinkum with his whinings at the door for MEAT, MOM, MEAT! He would devour an entire chicken quarter in minutes flat. He demanded his due attention. These 2 new ones are just your basic skittish ferals moving in to fill the vacuum left by Wee Dinkum's demise. *sigh*

I must make a new appointment for the Hobbits and Mimi to join the Clip of the Month Club. The coupon expired. *bah*

I deep watered the (soft evergreen big tree person whose name I can never remember, good thing I kept the tag!) and my two baby apple trees.. BOY were they dry! BAD Mommy. Gave everything up there a soaking to.

The Salad Bar Garden is looking lush, or wait a minute, am I the Juicy Lush, and the Garden is just growing? Lushfull thinking.

The tomatoes are looking quite nice. I have a few SunGolds already ripening, and a few Stupice, Glaciers, and Celebrities getting sizeable. I have a few eggplants ready for harvest and a yummy new recipe to try with them!

Nihki is growing like a weed, no new photos yet, since I STILL don't have a digital camera. Spoiled, I be, with this film developing thing! HA!

My Work Horse Computer --upon which my entire website resided, and my full version of Office 2003, Windows XP, Cute FTP< and Cute Map not to mention Paint Shop Pro (whose disk I have no nso worries there) finally gave up the ghost. I am attempting to have the data retrieved. I only pray it's NOT a SATA system, as those are more difficult to fetch information from. If you're out there, with a spare moment between hoeings, I would appreciate a pray or three for the successful retrieval of said files and folders. 12 years worth of work in there.

Off to shower my self in preparation for a long, warm day at work.

>^,,^<

Happy Fairy Day!

My friend Twig the Fairy reminded me that today is Fairy Day.


Happy Fairy Day!

So how did you spend YOUR Fairy Day? I spent mine with the Garden Faes. Now I know Carol will understand this, and I hope she spent a lovely day with her friends, the garden faes. Mine helped me tend to the garlics today. With their help, I discovered an underground shrew factory. These evil minions had been attacking the roots of my wee plants. We exposed their evil plan.

I left a Gift of a dish of cream, several small baby beets, and some tender baby lettuces to grace their dining.

Here's a place to puruse Fairy Garden furnishings : The Fairy's Garden
and places where Faerie gather, and you can invite the Fae Folk into your gardens
eFairies
Fairy Divas

I puttered about, pulling weeds, and watering the Salad Bar, playing with Nihki, and taking her for a nice long walk. Drinking from the hose like a child on a hot summer's day. I found myself altogether delighted with the world I live in, and my friends the Garden Faes all nodded in unison, as they gamboled and danced amongst the flower petals.

May your Fairy Day be Blessed!

>^,,^<

On Yer Knees, Grrrrl!

Wrong clothes, it was cloudy, but of course now that I am OUT in the garden, and on my knees in the Prayerful Position with sweat running down my neck into my t-shirt, the sun comes out and I am DRENCHED, can hardly see for the sweat in my eyes.. Pulling weeds, skittering about on my hands and knees in the soil... The knees of my sweats are dark rich chocolate with the soil of my garden.

Think I waited a tad too long for the lettuces... They look a bit beaten, but they are not bolted... SO! Maybe I shall have some lovely salad greens available to me for dinner... I planted another set of Walla Wallas, because oh my goodness, one can never have too many sweet onions! And I planted 6 more broccoli starts, since the slugs hit the ones I planted by seed.. ALTHOUGH! Once on my knees, I realized that I have more broccolis than I figured.. I should have some lovely steamed broccoli florets this summer...Yesh ....

The slugs did, however, take out the majority of my organic spinach, may the Goddess take their slimey souls before I can salt them. The ones who lived look like they bolted before they even had leaves. /sadness. *sigh*

I think I may have pulled up some of my parsnips, not knowing the plants look like carrots. So, why aren't there pictures of what the plants look like? I know what the ROOT looks like, but goodness me! And dagnabbit, but marigolds look just like weeds until you pull them up, and smell them. *bah* And the SMELL is what I wanted them for!

Nary a single Diva cucumber came up, so now I know that Diva cuc seeds are not viable past 4 years even if well-kept in the fridge with dessicant and ziplok baggies. Only TWO of my organic cuc seeds came up, and I am nursing those two wee plantlets, but the organic Muncher cuc starts I bought are doing very well.

I planted 2 starts of Early Butternut squash, and skipped all the rest of the squash, hoping to get some nice sweet butternuts for winter soups.

That derned puppy Nihki moved my garden stakes, or else I was sleep walking, because there's SOMETHING in there that doesn't look like a weed, but sure as heck doesn't look like anything I'M familiar with.. I'll let it grow, and see what happens. The Mystery Plant.

and I realized as I was pulling weeds that there is a BUNCH of volunteer tomato plants in this garden from downed fruits from last year. I wonder what kind?

wash off the sweat, git off yer kneees, Grrrrl! Off to place the 54" tomato cages about the perimeter sectors of tomatoes. I still have 6 more Bonnie Best tomatoes to find homes for... My friend Doc Lloyd passed away before I could plant the tomatoes I grew for him. I don't think I'll ever taste a Bonnie Best without thinking of him. What a delight my friend Doc was.

Gardening is when I am closest to the Angels.

>^,,^<

Back in the Saddle Again

*whew!* Gardening Season in the Glorious Pacific Northwest has landed with a VENGEANCE! The Garden Center MGC (Webpage awaiting construction as soon as I get the "extra" time) has been just crazy. This year, I get the distinct impression that gardening has broken the "Old People Barrier" into the mainstream. I see more and more young people coming in asking for advice on what they can do to plant a garden, in particular, a vegetable garden. I am also noting that a strong majority of these new gardeners are actively wanting to grow organically.

I find this validating.I have been advocating "going green" for decades longer than I have been a Plant Nerd. My Great GrandPops used to tell us that this is our ONLY Home, and we must take care of her. He used to make a game of finding and picking up and carting out at least ONE item that we did not bring in. He said if everyone did this, there would not be a pollution/garbage problem. I tend to agree.

Well, heck. There's never enough time to write what I am thinking, and my fingers are waaaaay slower than my mind is at thinking them. I watered the Salad Bar Garden this morning, and I can see how the wee weeds will be a pain in the patootie to dislodge. I can do nothing about them yet, as I really need to allow the veggies to get established before I muck about in the roots dislodging weeds. I 'spect that'll come sooner than late. The half lot of tomatoes I planted Saturday look FABULICIOUS! and in just 2 days, I am seeing wee blossoms popping! C'MON little bees! C'MON and POLLENATE!! I saw many Bumbleybees, mason bees and honey bees buzzing busily about in my Garden Farm, I am very happy to see their honey-sweet selves.

Whelp, off to fetch Nihki the Puppy Shark and hei us off to another work day.

Happy Gardening!

>^,,^<

Spring is Always Eagerly Awaited, and TOO FAST!

I wait and I wait *open*open*open* for Spring to finally GET HERE! especially after a rather long cold lonely Winter, (Little Darlin') and once she sneaks in on pussywillow feet, BAMMO! I have no time to write, no time to think, no time to muse... I clutch at my spare moments desperately, always intent on cramming as much into them as I possibly can, and generally always overbooking myself.

A friend needs a pruning done? SUUUURE! No problem, I'll be right there. A customer would like to hire me to prune their yard, SUUUUUUURE! I'll spend my day off working. Another friend, who is in his 90's, has macular degeneration, and can no longer see to garden, wants me to come over three to four times per week and work his garden. I have planted 2 flats (nearly 35 four inch pots) of Bonny Best tomatoes, and a flat of assorted celeries for him, and they are doing VERY well! Stout and sturdy, they will be ready to plant on Mother's Day.

I have my own garden to tend as well, my joy! the breath in my heart! the sighs of Mother Nature when I breathe in, as she breathes out. I have a BUNCH of beautiful tomato plants ready! (I think I've already listed them *laughs*) Box Car Willies, Abe Lincoln, Bonny Best, Sun Golds! (YUM) Early Goliath, Celebrity, Carbon Black, and for the life of me, I simply cannot remember the names of the other four without trouncing out to the greenhouse to see. *bah* Old Timers.

My seedlings are now plantlets, and will be ready to plant out along with the tomatoes on Mother's Day. They are pretty well hardened off, and ready. I planted seeds, and THEY are coming up well! I see the tender red heads of the Bull's Blood beets peeking above the soil line ! The tender "Y"s of the spinach reaching for the light, the tiny lettuces and even the baby grass blades of the Walla Walla onions. It takes vewy vewy caweful observation to see them, but I do. My peas are almost 3" high now! WEEEEE! And I broke down and bought a bulk package of Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed lettuce to plant for this year as well.

And then add to my stack of spinning plates, Ainihkiwa, and I think I'll go take a nap now.... It's cold and rainy and I really can't do much in the garden today anyway, except get soggy and watch the garden and the puppy grow...

Happy Gardening!

>^,,^<

Happy Day After May Day!
1920 – The first game of the Negro National League baseball is played in Indianapolis, Indiana.
1945 – World War II: Fall of Berlin: The Soviet Union announces the capture of Berlin and Soviet soldiers hoist their red flag over the Reichstag building.[citation needed] German forces surrender in Italy. German forces surrender to the New Zealand Army in Trieste.
2000 – President Bill Clinton announces that accurate GPS access would no longer be restricted to the United States military.
Polish Flag Day
Events of May 2nd
and the most important one, Blaidd and I slept on the bed with only ONE tiny mishap.
What? You don't know who Ainihkiwa is? Heeeeeer's Nihki! & Sibs
Your Basic Daily Dose of Puppy!

Yet More Puppy Cuteness

Bad Grandpa Teaches Puppy to Eat Shoes

Puppies!

Puppies!

My New Baby Grrrrrrl. She is the neice of my Teeghkii.
And boy have I been busy!

Julie/Julia
I have to see this movie!

It's back to rain rain rain, I am glad I haven't yet planted out my starts, as they'd've been flattened by now.. They are still in the greenhouse, awaiting Mother's Day.
My thoughts are with you all. Happy Gardening!

>^,,^<

Gracious Gracious Life is Good, and I Beleaf

Friday we had snow in places, I saw wee flakes floating, floating, drifting aimlessly across my window, like soft fragile leaves of imagination. Saturday, the greenhouses hit over 95*, and I was able to open up both sets of windows for ventilation. It was actually uncomfortable ! to work in the third greenhouse, the Nursery/Baby House. Where the wee small tomatoes, peppers, celery, and such are germinating, and growing.

I'm rather struggling with Alfonso, the OTHER gardening Guru, about the importance of AIR CIRCULATION. He says (in his broken English) "Peppers, they like hot". I say "PLANTS, they HATE slimy molds!!!!" So I take my wee plastic fork, and I gently, oh so gently, fork over these wee tiny 4" pots' top soil, to break up the slime crust. There's no dampening off, there's no HARM, but the soil needs to breathe.

The tiny wee plantlets are loving the heat. We have small heaters on at night, I close up the greenhouse around 4 pm to conserve the day's accumulated heat.

It's GLORIOUS! splendiferous! fantabulicious! to see the sun, to realize that TODAY, I get to get OUT of my sweats & my thermals!

I opened up my own wee greenhouse for the air. My seeds are sprouting on the TV tray perched along the south glass doors. The garden soil is still too wet to till (again, for the sixth time this year) or to rake smooth, but it's getting there. The pea seeds I planted last Wed. are swelling, are ripening up to pop their wee rootlets.

We will get more rain mid-week. But for Today, Life is Good. Gardening is EVERYTHING. Bright Blessings!

>^,,^<

April Fool

Here it is, April 1st. Fool's Day. I am an April Fool.
The Fool
The Fool Defined

"The Fool represents the "everyperson" - the essence of us all embarking on the journey of life, self-discovery and mastery. He is the innocent, the whimsical, the "inner child" mixed with the "inner sage" that lives down deep inside of us all. He faces life and his journey unafraid, trusting, the perfect example of total and utter faith that all will be well, that every experience has a deep essential meaning. He trapses along the crags of life, regardless of any hidden peril or disappointment, his eyes are turned to the heavens and he knows that he will be kept safe and whole along his travels. Key words associated with the Fool are new beginnings, important decisions and optimism.

The Fool is sometimes known as the most worthless card, yet also as the most valuable one. He is the first and the last, the alpha and the omega. It represents both the fledgling beginner and the adept master. The Fool reminds us of things, sacred things, that we have forgotten or repressed. The Fool knows his or her own ignorance, thus is seen as the most wise."

So at my most foolish, I planted garlic (two new kinds) in early March. Shame on me, I was told, you are supposed to plant garlic in the Fall, it needs cold. Then we got 2+ weeks of snow & freezing, and hoar frost, and hail. My new garlics are pushing up, all lovely and healthy. I fed them all a lovely supper of bone meal.

Now at my most foolish, I go forth to plant my peas in my new garden. It's a chilly 39* outside, drizzly, and supposed to reach a high of 47* WEEEEE!! with more rain. But I am going to plant them anyways, because I got a foolish feeling that this is a Good Day to plant peas. We will have a couple of dry warmish days coming this weekend, so my wee pea children will have wetness in order to swell and germinate, followed by a couple of days of warmth to combat the rot which threatens them. I have Pea Innoculant to help the battle as well.

I started some cole crop seeds inside, and to my surprise, the Walla Walla onions didn't even wait a week to push their wee heads up to search for light.

Hope Springs Eternal! Happy Gardening to Thee!

>^,,^<

It's HERE! I can SMELL IT!!

I have my organic Grafitti cauliflower, my Walla Walla onions, and my organic biodynamic spinach in cells awaiting germination! I have my Thompson's organic brocolli ready to cell up tomorrow and do the same! My peas aren't planted, but I intend to plant them tomorrow, even in the rain! My new 50' X 20' garden is only awaiting some dry days and sunshine --and of course, germinated seeds-- to embrace veggies! My tomatoes and peppers are about an inch and a half tall, and some even have the beginnings of their second true leaves! (these, of course, are still in the greenhouse. They won't be planted until Mother's Day)

But it's HERE! I see my Flowering Quince's buds swelling. I see flowering cherries in town, one tree is already in full regalia! My weeping pussy willow has a few fuzzy yellow catkins peeking and meowing at the day. My peach trees are swelling, as are the plums.

I have given my garlic and bulb boxes a nice feeding of bone meal. I still have to take the chainsaw out and top the apple trees of their more exuberant growth, and spray them with Neem for the season, but it's been too rainy to spray.

Glory! Spring is Springing!!

>^,,^<

Bloom Day!

May Dreams Gardens Bloom Day! I had to cheat, because I couldn't get my pictures from my garden developed in time.. I have a lavender tulip! and a cluster of beautiful purple whozeewhatsis bulbs peering up at me.. BUT! until I get my film back (drat that my digital died, and double drat that I can't seem to get my new camera to WORK! *bah*) I have to settle for flowers at work.


I'm cheating, of course, since these are all at work.. BUT they ARE in bloom, and they DO remind me that it is almost here, that season of joy and work, and Godliness.


Orange Sedge & pansies. Soon these will be planted in a pot. The snowy ice crystals were just too fun to let go unphotographed!


sweet daffodils in a nice little pot.

Happy Bloom Day! Happy Gardening!

>^,,^<

Put a Little Love in Your Heart!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMj7UcjPZ0U&feature=related

Put a Little Love in Your Heart

Think of your fellow man
Lend him a helping hand
Put a little love in your heart

You see it's getting late
Oh please don't hesitate
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see

Another day goes by
And still the children cry
Put a little love in you heart
If you want the world to know
We won't let hatred grow
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see
Wait and see

Take a good look around
And if you're lookin' down
Put a little love in your heart

I hope when you decide
Kindness will be your guide
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
You just wait and see

Put a little love in your heart
Put a little love in your heart
Put a little love in your heart
Put a little love in your heart
Put a little love in -
Put a little love in your heart...



Out of the darkness, and into the Light, we must shine, shine, shine, shine with every fiber of our beings, shine with every kindness we can muster, shine with all the love we have available. Give it away! Pass it along! Just try to deplete the resevoir of love and kindness within your Spirit, and watch it multiply, watch it blossom, watch it propogate into wee small baby kindnesses sprouting willy nilly all over, to cover the Earth with a foggy blanket of Loving Kindness, so thick you can touch it, if only we try.

Here, Gentle Reader, allow me to touch you, allow me to spread the Love in my Heart from my One Mile Radius to Yours. Allow me to infect you like a plague of gentle smiling.

I make this Vow, that I will try to be fertile with Love, pregnant with Kindness, pollenated with Life. Happy Gardening! Sow the Seeds of Joy! Go Forth and Multiply!

(Tomorrow I get to plant peas! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!)

>^,,^<