Return For Deposit

I went to Vest's Greenhouse today to pick up some flowers. Mother and I haven't been there in decades. We got wave petunias, peach impatiens, pansies, and geraniums. I still want a hibiscus or two.

I'm trying to tidy up the landscaping in the front yard. There are two bushes that I have shaved down as much as I can with electric hedge trimmers and they're still too large so it's time for them to get cut waaaaay down by a pro.

These are boxwoods that have been here for 50 years when the house was built in August 1959. The most unruly one got sheared down to a fresh start a few months ago and new leaves are sprouting already.

The guy unearthed a 16 oz Coca-Cola bottle that looks to be at least 30 years old; probably 40. It says "return for deposit" on the bottle and on the bottom it says, MIDDLESBORO. Remember when you paid extra for the bottles and returned them to get your .05 back. Does anyone remember when the deposit on drinks was .02? Nah, me either. =)

The same house I COULD NOT WAIT to leave at age 17 I returned to find much love and comfort in. There's an invisible force that gives me satisfaction. Return for deposit?

Dave's Garden

For several years now whenever I need to look up something pertaining to flowers or fuits, etc, I usually visit Dave's Garden website first.

From the website: Dave's Garden is an informational website where a large, international community of gardeners can learn from each other and find resources offered by the gardening industry.

It's much more than that. It has all the zones for planting, migration info, photos of plants and flowers from every zip and postal code. Forums of expert gardeners and piddlers like me all congregate to learn and/or help one another.

The Garden Watchdog at Dave's Garden is a free directory of 6,760 mail order gardening companies. And Plant Scout helps you correctly identify your plants. Plants and Seed Trading, also a great section.

Since 1994, 3,510 companies have been reviewed in the Garden Watchdog, and 46,579 comments have been posted (33,043 positive, 5,268 neutral, 8,268 negative) by 24,273 customers.

Hope you enjoy it. Favorite the link and thank me later. :)

Don't Be Talking About MY President

My sweet, fragile and timid little Mother was with a group of ladies of all ages at a formal function today when someone told a derogatory joke about Obama. The lady started to tell the 2nd joke when my prim and proper 86 year old Mother butted in to say,

"You know that I'm a Democrat, don't you?"

The girl got red-faced and flustered as everyone turned to see what would happen next saying,

"Well, I don't think it matters whether you are Democrat or Republican, the jokes are still funny."

I asked Mother what the joke was and it was something about how there will now be watermelon and fried chicken in the Rose Garden.

Mother was still upset when I went to pick her up and she said to me, "Obama is probably more aquainted with haute cuisine than those rednecks back there."

Mickey Rourke's New Film

"The Wrestler" stars Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a giant in the ring who played Madison Square Garden 20 years earlier but now scrabbles by on matches in high school gyms.

Doing twice-a-day weightlifting sessions and eating six meals daily for six months, Rourke packed on 40 pounds of muscle for the role.

His mental regimen has been a marathon by comparison: 13 years seeing a therapist, which he had resisted for a long time.

"I didn't think anything was wrong with me. I thought it was everybody else," Rourke said. "And there was a lot wrong with me..." .

I've always liked him. His best performance will be maintaining his walk on a path of discovery. What a phenomenal actor. I wish him tons of blessings as he gets his life together.

link

Friday Fill-In

1. On my laziest day I like to SLEEP!
2. SEWING makes me feel like I'm being productive.
3. I love little SMILES and big KISSES. (from my grandson)
4. This summer I want to GO BOATING ON WATAUGA LAKE.
5. NOBODY made me start my blog. It began as a diary in 2001.
6. Red SHOES and orange HAIR.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to WORKING, tomorrow my plans include GARDENING & WORKING and Sunday, I want to CHILL!

link

A Helping Hand

I took this photo a few days ago. Does anyone know what it is? It's some kind of large pink lily and I put it in a larger bowl of water. Wanna know the story behind it?

I was down in my back during flower planting time and didn't get to tend to Robin's (my dear sister who's passed on) flower garden the way I wanted to. And after an early frost, the tulips AND the daffodils died and nothing else came up in that bed. I also had those huge orange flowers and those humongous blue alliums that never showed their face at all this year. So the flower bed was looking gloomy and I took some hand clippers and clipped the stray stuff leaving one healthy unrecognizable stalk just for the hell of it.

Lo and behold, that one healthy unrecognizable stalk bloomed into a sassy, pink lily-looking display. And the fragrance... oh my.

Out of the blue this lone flower decided to put on a show in that dreary patch of grass. It was as if Robin had seen no flowers in her flower patch and lovingly lent me a hand. And I kid you not, right at this very moment I can smell that lily. Magic!

**UPDATE: I believe I've found the flower online. It looks very much like an Oriental Lily called "Muscadet". You can see this link for comparison.

Go Away!

I know there are much more dire problems in the world and everything, but damnit, this is my blog and I wanna sound off so I don't explode one day.

I am so sick of all the solicitors ringing my doorbell for every single cause, product, service and vote you can imagine. There is hardly a day that goes by that we aren't besieged by some children hoofing it while Mom cruises the block along behind them while they try to collect for every ailment and affliction in Merck's Manual. Or the working guy who wants to get your lawn, paint, roof or gardening business. Or the political shifts that roll in and interrupt you during every single city, county, state, and national election. And let's don't forget the white shirted, skinny tied, bicyclists who want to know if you've been saved or not.

I could handle it fine if it was an occasional visitor. But it's the never-ending parade of them that has my blood boiling.

Nevermind that long ago I posted a sign that says:

Solicitors will be shot
Survivors will be prosecuted

And yes, I ripped it off from the rednecks, but nobody pays any attention to it.

I know better than to sweat the small stuff, but it feels good to sound off once in a while. =)

I'm extra careful about harming innocent creatures. When digging in the garden, I dig around the earthworms. I caught a fly in the house last night and set it free outdoors. I brake for squirrels and crows who are nibbling on roadside pizza. So I'd say I love all of the creatures in the world.

Except for that one damn cat. This particular neighbor's cat is determined to rob the Robin's nest I have in a bush at home. This one 7 foot tall shrubbery monstrosity is home to Robin birds each year and they successfully lay their eggs and introduce their young to fly from this very bush. Today I will call Mrs S and ask her nicely if she would consider putting a collar with a bell on it to warn the birds when it's approaching. That's about the only thing I know of to help in this situation. Honestly I adore cats, too, so I wouldn't dare hurt this one.

I've Got The Urge

Okay. (deep breath) So I've raised two beautiful children. My son has been on his own for a long time and my daughter is almost 18. Being a Mother suits me. Being in a supportive, nurturing role, that is. I'm that friend who'll straighten your collar, will always hug you when I see you, if appropriate. If not, you'll receive the warm two-handed shake. Being a Mother for so long has sharpened my intuition. You may get a surprise phone call from me just because I sensed you needed to talk or an out-of-the-blue package or email. I don't act on all my intuitions for fear I may be wrong and annoy somebody, and some are too strong to ignore. I'll soon be knee-deep in the 'empty nest' syndrome amd what will I do then with this urge to nurture?

What did I do with myself before I had someone to take care of? Oh... Never mind.

The urge to nurture may explain my newfound love for gardening and my trying to establish a home bird sanctuary. (I can imagine those who know me are letting out a resounding, "Duh!".) I nurture the tiny seeds in their tiny pots and lovingly sprinkle them with water, give 'em a proper dose of sunlight, and maybe a bit of flower kibble. I've covered the yard with hummingbird paraphenalia. I'm watching four nests of cardinals. And I have an agreement with the neighborhood cats. Their clandestine visits are inevitable, so I buy them food now, too. (koi pond idea on hold)

When the Mother Earth cracks open and tender seedlings begin to sprout, you'll find me doing the happy dance and squealing like a stuck pig. When I saw the first (migratory) hummingbird of the season? Second verse; same as the first.

It helps to have something else at home to take care of, and I still lovingly nurture my family somewhat but it's not the same and never will be. I can't really complain, because it's been a lovely run. It's just that it's ending far too soon.

I have learned to view a garden as a living thing, with its seasons and flamboyance, its subtleties and surprises, its lives and its deaths. It makes it easier for me to deal with this next chapter in my life.

Orange Crown Imperial - This unusual spring-flowering bulb makes a stunning accompaniment to tulips and daffodils. The Fritillaria imperialis Aurora features orange-red, bell-shaped flowers up to 3" across, growing in a cluster of six to eight flowers which, together, form the shape of a crown. Seldom seen in modern gardens, this bulb has been cultivated since the 17th century. What's more, in addition to its beautiful flowers, this variety's bulbs have been shown to keep moles and rodents away. Zones 3-8. 20+ cm bulbs.

This is the latest mysterious flower to bloom in Robin's Garden! Remember when it first broke through the ground I said it looked like an artichoke? I went to Brecks.com where she ordered most of her bulbs and looked it up under their Plant Finder and voila! They also come in a red, too. Striking, isn't it? I need to stake it as it's already 2 feet tall and was leaning this morning. This is so exciting.

Large climbing rose bushes are thriving and then there is a newly sown flower bed in the side yard I've taken to calling "Rob's Garden" that's just full of mystery. Ice Stick Tulips and Cotton Candy Tulips came up but then an odd little creature burst thru the soil disguised as an artichoke. It finally opened up enough to reveal six leetle flower buds the other day, but wtf is it? The mystery continues...

I went through tons of Robin's seed packets and began some starter pots of snowball marigolds, two kinds of morning glorys, sunflowers, forget-me-nots and a few others. The marigolds are coming up and so is one of the morning glorys. I'll move them outdoors when after May 5-- my grandmother always said after Cinco de Mayo, it's safe to plant. (She also said don't go barefoot in any month that has the letter "R" in it)

I digress again, but thank you, my dear Robin. I really enjoy taking care of these flowers and I joyfully await the surprises you left behind.

In death, Robin left behind a floral treasure hunt for us. She had recently planted fall bulbs in the yard. Outdoors, bulbs soon peeked up from tender soil as I patiently waited for their blooming show. What color will you be? How tall will you grow? And what variety will show up next?

This also happens indoors. Right beside a monster peace lily, a large, sturdy plant began showing signs of new bud growth. Each morning as I awoke I'd rush to see what may have transpired overnight. Finally the first flower started to unfold with a touch of bright red peeking out. A week later there are two full large red flowers. Huge. 8 inches across huge. They look somewhat tropical, but what in the world are they?

A trusty internet search reveals the mystery. They are Canna Lilies. I'd heard of Calla Lilies, but not Canna Lilies. They come in dwarf size and large size and in different colors. Ours is called the "President". You can see a good picture if you click here at Daves Garden, a super nice site with member participation.

Thanks, Dobber. I enjoy taking care of the flowers you lovingly planted and seeing what surprises you have in store for me. (For those who may not know, my sister and best friend passed away on Thanksgiving morning, 2005.)

If I could speak to Robin right now, she and I would be laughing about what we always called the "Februarys".

Something I made up decades ago to describe the blahs I felt during the winter months. Each year in January I'd say to her that I was having the Februarys early this year. And she'd remind me that I always got them in January.

It helps to rush Spring by planning your flower gardens, ie- buying seeds and bulbs, reading garden magazines. Outdoors I've been rearranging wind chimes and garden path stones and birdhouses and various yard paraphanelia.

I have a hummingbird apparatus that you can make sugar water to put in and they have like a dropper to drink from it. It's a real coup to see a hummingbird in your yard.

There's also cats who love to come around so you keep this in mind as you put up bird food. And squirrels. My neighbor told me of a hawk who's been on the prowl recently. She also has a lot of bird delectibles in her yard beside mine. And about once a week we see a flock of geese fly over. I don't know if it's the same ones or if geese are actually travelling north right now. I don't think they're coming to the pond on the golf course (there's a large net on the bottom of the pond that they pick out golf balls to use for range balls).

Our property connects to the 14th hole on a golf course. That's why my father picked out this land in the first place to build his house on. Golf isn't a sometime thing; it's a lifelong passion for golfers. As a young girl I used to work at the grill there and worked on the driving range picking up balls in a cart with a thing on the back that scoops the balls up.

Okay. Enough rambling. Time for something productive. Like internet shopping. =)

just a quick note to say i'm still alive...we stayed in the country with friends over the past few days, making music, having a big garden buffets, enjoying the outdoors. will be back blogging soon. sending love...