Move and Clean-up Over: Re-hab Begins

| Flower Roberts

The digging up of all plants to be saved, weeding and mulching took me, Mr. Flower and the crew three days. Luckily we had several good rains the previous two days, so that digging was not difficult and the plants were hydrated. 

Job used three dozen bales of pine needles.

It was hot, hard work. We took breaks and drank lots of water. We wore ThorGrip nitrile gloves which are a must for many jobs. These are the best. They grip well and do not tear easily.

ThorGrip Heavy Duty Nitrile gloves with grip on both sides

I had labeled the plants to be moved and their fabric pots ahead of time. All the stakes and deer fence has been removed. The years of battling the herd are over. Our yard has not looked this normal since 2018.

Cut and cleaned iris bed ready to be mulched around.

I am relieved to know my favorite plants are safe. I am happy my gardens look beautiful again. I no longer sigh and shake my head as I tour the yard.

This is the first time in three years that I have been able to do this level of physical work. My hips held up to the hills. I do have several bruises, scratches and insect bites but no joint pain or hip dislocations. I am worn out but feel a level of confidence in my mobility that I have not felt in a long time.

Stakes and fence rings gone. Hooray

All the daylilies have been cleaned and inspected. The tubers have been detangled and covered with potting soil.

Transplants in great shape and safe from the hungry herd.

I have lightly watered all transplants just enough to stay hydrated. The rest is up to them. They will be kept damp and in the shade for about a month.

Stokes Aster stand was replanted in a box. Dug up crocus in pot. Keeping them under an azalea for shade.
Tiger lilies, double Splendens in a box. Bulbs covered with potting soil.

Plants that recover and perk up will be listed for adoption. I hope this can be done in the fall. I will plant a few of my absolute favorites inside the fence.

I am happy this is done. I plan to invest my time and energy in other things after this. This move is my gift to myself, my family and my home at Wildwood. I just cannot expect my family to take over the huge job of maintaining this many plants.

My hope is that the herd will disperse now that the deer delicatessen has been removed. They need to forage on native plants not gorge on exotics.

Natural balance is best.

FLOWER

Dovey has a Baby!

| Flower Roberts

I am thrilled to announce that our Dove in Residence, Dovey, has hatched her egg.

Dovey and Fuzzy


The fuzzy baby peeked out yesterday. It has followed my movements with its tiny, black beady eyes all morning.

Peeking

Dovey is a good mama. Resting on her nest as her hatchling watches its grandma garden. Ha.

FLOWER and feathered family

My Happy Fatsia

| Flower Roberts

It has taken years for this ‘Spider’s Web’ Fatsia japonica to look this healthy. I pulled it out a few feet from the corner to give it more room and rain.


I guess that was a good call. I am fascinated by varieagated leaves. Each leaf has its own pattern of white.

Spider’s Web Fatsia japonica

This Fatsia finally looks happy.

Preparing to Move the Gardens

| Flower Roberts

I will not get to Wildwood until Monday afternoon. The un-landscaping crew comes in Tuesday morning. I am anxious about keeping the names with the plants.

I have made two name tags for each plant. One is for me to attach to the plant itself. The other is for the handle of its new container.  I have ordered various sizes of fabric pots and sturdy paper bags with handles. Unlabeled and mislabeled plants will not be adopted by serious gardeners.

Doing this part of the job early is giving me some peace. Once these daylilies and other perennials are safely moved inside the fence, I can take my time rehabbing them and rehoming them.

Plant labels made ahead of time.

I made lists of what plants are in each bed from memory. These gardens have been my joy for over thirty year. I have planted, cared for, and photographed each of these plants many times. I know them well.

Two labels for each plant arranged by garden location.

On nights when I could not sleep, I walked my gardens in my mind and named each plant. That is how well I know my green friends. Knowing they will be safe is the goal. What happens next is up to me, not the herd.

In May,  I hauled two of my favorite daylilies up the mountain. I looked in the garden where they should have been and saw only tiny, thin, green shoots. The deer have favorites, too. They ate these two as they emerged from the ground.

Rescued daylilies

Now, ‘Nowhere to Hide’ and ‘Changing Latitudes’ are safe and healthy with me.  There are deer here as well, so I will be bringing these back down the mountain to stay inside the fence on Wildwood.

FLOWER’s flowers will be safe soon.

Sigh

A Town Full of Art and Flowers

| Flower Roberts

We spent the perfect day in a charming little town in the North Carolina mountains. We have never visited West Jefferson before. We will be going back.

Mr. Flower with the cows.
I loved these sweet potato vines!

The place and the people were lovely.
There are shops full of art and clothing.

If you get hungry or thirsty there are quite a few cafes and ice cream shops and a giant cheese, candy and wine store.

I was there to see the many murals. I did not photograph all of them.

Flowers were planted in containers and planters everywhere. These were amazingly well-maintained. That feat impressed me since it is almost July.


I had to pause several times to keep from getting overwhelmed. There was so much to see! I am glad it was not crowded on a Tuesday afternoon.

Art All Around

What a great way to spend a day!

FLOWER

Blackberry Lilies

| Flower Roberts

I love this easy plant for many reasons. It is not needy. It self sows.

It mixes with other Bellamcanda to make various colors.

Its spent flower petals twist into little buns on the stalk/peduncle.

Spent blooms with buns

It gets its name from the fact that after its seed pods burst open, the shiny black seed clusters look like blackberries. (not shown)

These green pods will burst open to expose black, shiny seeds.

Orange freckled is the wild type. Other variations my be called Candy lilies.

FLOWER loves Bellamcanda

An Alpaca Farm Adventure

| Flower Roberts

I had heard about Apple Hill Farm from many sources. I decided it was time for a visit, when a member of the writing group I am in wrote a poem about a donkey there named Buckeroo.

Buckeroo

I have always loved donkies and wanted to meet one that was poem worthy. Buckeroo did not disappoint, but my heart was stolen instantly by a baby Angora goat named Ethel.

Ethel

The main attraction of the farm is the gorgeous alpacas. They had just been sheered so looked very sleek and clean.

Three of the many alpacas

The all the farm animals are guarded by donkies, and great Pyrenees dogs. 

Pyrenees Puppy

There was one cow, two “miniature” pigs and two horses to finish out the menagerie.

Either Laverne or Shirley

The fibers from the lamas, alpacas and goats are spun into fibers. These are sold as skeins or made into clothing items.

The socks, hats, etc. are sold in one of the barns at the farm or at the Apple Farm Outpost in Banner Elk.

Mr. Flower and I enjoyed our outing with the alpacas…

The Flowers

FLOWER

Picking Blueberries

| Flower Roberts

We went to a near-by farm to pick organic blueberries. We have done this for years. They give you your own bucket, then you lose yourself in the blueberry forest and pick off any row.

Each row is labeled by its hybrid name. When you are done you take your full buckets to the gazebo and pay for what you picked (that you did not eat.)

Just the beginning. Much tasting.


I lost Mr. Flower in the blueberry forest. He was silently picking while others chattered away. I finally spotted his legs down an empty row.

There he be.

I heard a little voice several rows over claim that he had picked one hundred thousand blueberries. A group of women were joking that they were picking only off the ‘Climax’ rows.

I have been eating my blueberries several times a day. They are delicious!

I love gathering my own food from its source. I am grateful to all the people that grow our food. My family would starve if I had to grow and harvest our sustenance.

Nature takes what it wants, no matter how much you need it.

FLOW may turn blue

The Disappearing Trees

| Flower Roberts

My daddy wanted those two maple trees down for decades. We scolded him about wishing to kill trees in someone elses’ yard. He kept wanting to call the owners and ask to have them removed. We did not want to insult our neighbors, so we discouraged him.
If I had not skipped Zumba this morning, I would have missed this monumental event. What a shock that would have been to walk out on the porch after the trees disappeared. I was here to watch and document the whole thing. I took photos and videos and sent them to the family. I called Mr. Flower and my sis. Yes, I cried…tears of joy.

Maple tree hooked to crane and cut at bottom

I just wish Bop was here to see one of those maples go down. It was hooked to a crane, cut, lifted and chipped up in a matter of minutes. This was unbelievable after wishing the tree gone for decades to see it disappear within minutes.

My mountain has had lightning trouble. We had a poplar struck several years ago. Our neighbor also had one struck last year. A house across the hollow was struck recently. It left a big gash in the ground. Stay tuned for that.

So one of the hated maples and a row of cedars disappeared across the street. I watched from the porch. I take my role as the neighborhood’s Gladys Kravitz seriously.

Cedar in the air
Laying down the cedar
Chipping up the cedar

We have many big trees on our property. I know who to call to get them removed if needed.

The efficient tree removers

I hope Daddy was watching!

FLOWER with a new view

Sun Setting Over Nashville

| Flower Roberts

On our way home, we discussed our favorite events of the trip. The food was crazy good everywhere we went.

Assorted seafood on ice


Rose loved her times in the pool.

Rose in a doughnut under waterfeature

We all enjoyed the music on the riverboat cruise.

Performers on the General Jackson

Mr. Flower and I were surprised that our favorite time was sitting quietly in the rooftop bar of our hotel watching the sunset.

Sunset
Lights coming on

After days of rushing around it was nice to slow down and let some time go by without doing a thing.


SLOW

Kindness on His Corner

| Flower Roberts

There were spectacular sideshows on the sidewalks of Nashville. No need to enter a bar to see a parade of characters. The tourists made up one part of a two-part drama that ran simultaneously on the same sidewalks. I had to pull over to give the actors my full attention. It was easy to keep the tourist drama troupe separate from the homeless group.

The tourist wore cowboy/girl boots and cowboy/girl hats. Females donned sparkly shorts or skirts and lots bling. The gals outfits displayed little fabric and exposed lots of skin. There were tattoos peeking out from under all garments. The tourist troupe took many selfies and group photos. The homeless were phoneless.

Busy sidewalks

From my perch in the bar window, I could watch the double dramas play out in air-conditioning. The rowdy revelers moved in groups. There was some wobbling and groping going on.The homeless moved solo or staked out a spot and stayed there. They wore what they had, whether it fit or not.

The band on stage, inside played really well, but my attention was held by sights on the steamy sidewalk. I considered the band  background music for the silent, outdoor drama.

There was a real life occurring on the corner. A man I named “Kindness” and his docile dog lounging on its bed were setup on the edge of the sidewalk just below my lookout.  I call the man Kindness because his large, cardboard sign read SEARCHING FOR HUMAN KINDNESS.

Sketch of Kindness and his persnickety pit.

Several blonde women gave Kindness money. One tourist sat beside him and his dog to have his picture taken. Then the tourist got up, shook Kindness’s hand and walked away. Wasn’t that kind of him?

Kindness tried to share his food with his dog but the dog sniffed it reluctantly. I hope the food was not the spoiled spoils from a hot trashcan. Kindness kept putting the food near the dog’s mouth until it ate it.

Kindness and his dog had the perfect spot where the sidewalk widened just before a crosswalk on a busy corner. The metal poles between the street and the sidewalk kept them from being stepped on.

Poles between street and sidewalk.

Kindness must be an important fixture of the homeless community. I did not take his photo. I sketched him in my notes. He is a human not a public figure/fixture, so a photo would have been inappropriate. Other homeless humans came by to visit Kindness on his corner.

First came woman I named “Toy” because her sign, written in red marker,  read SAVING FOR A SEX TOY. Toy brought Kindness a pair of black shoes to try on. They fit so he kept them on and slipped his white, speckled crocks into his bag.

Later Toy returned with an opened bag of chips and sat beside Kindness. They both ate out of the bag until it was empty. They did not offer the sleeping pit any chips.

A small male I named “Pants” had on loose jeans that required being held up by one hand as he held his sign with the other. Pants came by many times from the same direction. I guess he was circling the same block over and over. He would glance into the trashcans each time he passed.

Covered cans secured to sidewalk.

Pants paused once during his rounds to borrow a marker from Kindness. Pants changed something on his cardboard sign and continued his one-way, circular route. I never saw what his sign said but it was torn from a Capri Sun box.

The band in the Luke Bryan bar was great but the sidewalk parade was where the real action was. Too much and too little right there together.

It’s hard for a band to compete with all that sparkle and suffering.

FLOW

Where is Thomas Edison?

| Flower Roberts

The deer usually leave my dahlias alone,

but not this year.

Thomas A. Edison has disappeared.

Snow Country dahlia

He was between Snow Country and Firepot.

Firepot dahlia

He was there, but now he’s not!


Damn deer!

FURIOUS FLOWER

The Mural and the Trashcan

| Flower Roberts

Sometimes reality photobombs your perfect pictures. This is what happened as I was trying to capture all the musicians in this mural of country music legends.

I saw the man in the white shirt enter my frame and lean in a trashcan. I waited. I thought he was barfing up beer at first, but then he moved to the next can and reached in.

Legends Corner

I think the city is attempting to keep a balance between tourist traffic and a homeless population.

There were homeless mixed in with the crowds on the sidewalks. Many were  carrying bags and folded cardboard signs under their arms. They would come in the souvenier stores to buy drinks and snacks with cash. I observed some homeless drama out the window of the hopping Luke Bryan bar one hot night.

Story will follow.

Once you see them, you can’t not see them.

FLOWER

Staging the Reality of Nashville

| Flower Roberts

I have admitted staging photos in previous posts, but I have never been this guilty before. In nature photography it is taboo to augment reality. Man-made subjects do not have such rules.

Flower art at a park.

I took pictures of what I wanted to remember. I am haunted by scenes I cannot forget.

Man going through the trash. Mural behind and rooftop bar above.


I will share more of this fascinating mural in a later post.

A week in Nashville had many beautiful sights, but there was ugliness everywhere.
I did not photograph the problems of this bustling city, but I have been taking lots of notes.

Tootsies was a favorite in 2014.


Nashville has laws to keep the homeless out of sight. No set-ups or sleeping in public spaces.

This fountain had a person asleep on the edge later that night.


We were rarely approached by these desperate folks. They held up cardboard signs like in Portland and San Diego. Their voices scribbled with markers.

The best shows are on the riverboats. The performers are amazing.
Talented performers on the General Jackson

I sketched some scenes and gave each character a name based on my observations. Yes…there’s a story coming!

The sidewalks were steamy and the smelly trashcans had grates across the tops.

I am sensitive to sounds and it was difficult to find quiet spaces anywhere. I keep Loops earplugs in my purse. I used these numerous times because the noise from bars and traffic was loud.

Talent on stage at Luke Bryan

I need to go through all my notes and sketches and see what rings true about Nashville.

Nashville Music City Center had a guitar and grass on the roof.

I was last there in 2014. It has changed since then and so have I.

FLOW

The Lavender Experiment

| Flower Roberts

Deer do not like the scent of lavender. I decided to plant lavender in my flower beds to deter deer snacking. I wanted to see which lavender hybrids did best here in Zone 7.

The experimental row of lavender.

I purchased seven different varieties.
Here is the list in order of best to worst performance. All of these have survived two years of neglect (except Superblue which died). Keep in mind I only used one of each variety instead of many test plants per hybrid for more data.

1. LLOYD TRAVEN #pp24193( Lavendula x Phenomenal) great form, many flower stalks

LLOYD TRAVEN PP#24193 lavender


2. PROVENCE: nice mound, long stalks, light purple

Provence lavender


3. HIDCOTE: smaller mound, deep purple, chunky blooms

Hidcote lavender


4. PHENOMENAL: tall stalks, survived traffic, lovely green

Phenomenal lavender


5. MUNSTEAD: small mound, lovely gray tint on short stalks, chunky blooms, good size for a pot

Munstead lavender


6. BRIDGET CHLOE: really tall stalks, survived traffic

Bridget chloe lavender


7. SUPERBLUE= died

Lavender row

Any of these will deter deer at close range.

The herd still went behind two lavender plants to ravage this Lacecap Hydrangea. BLAH!

Poor edible lacecap hydrangea
Blooms out of deer range

FLOWER

My Favorite Calla

| Flower Roberts

I have several kinds of callas. My favorite is the tallest, the darkest, and has shimmering leaves.

Hot Chocolate calla


Hot Chocolate demands attention. It’s spathe is a deep burgandy.

Its spadix is the same color with white male flowers barely visible inside on its top portion.

Tiny male flowers

I dissected one to show the structure of the spathe. Male flowers are on the upper part, female flowers are the bumpy structures on the lower part.

Male flowers dried up, females are bumpy

This light pink was a gift, so I do not know its name. I find ants inside many blooms and wonder if they could be a pollinator.

FLOW

My Vision Versus Reality

| Flower Roberts

I get a picture of something in my mind and then tenaciously try to bring it to fruition. I have tried several types of vines on our high posts on the front of the deck. The poles are tall and plain.

My first fiasco was planting wisteria all along the front. I even installed wires to support the vines between posts. I spent hours on a ladder installing eye hooks and stringing wires. When the vines grew rapidly, I spent more hours on the ladder training the vines to the wires. If I was not diligent with my training and trimming the vines would grow through the railing and take over the deck. I now put wisteria on the “never ever” list with ivy and crownvetch.

I fought that wisteria for seven years waiting for its pendulent, purple blooms. Never a purple bud emerged. I ripped up the vines the eighth spring. The wires are still there.

I have planted several other annual vines to climb the posts. Those looked beautiful but had to be removed and replanted each year.

Vine growing fine without me.

My present choice is Confederate Jasmine. It has done well. I have not given it the necessary training, but it is thriving on the highest post beside a bench.

The flowers are sweet little whorls of white with a delicate scent.

Confederate jasmine

This vine is the closest to my vision so far. Confederate jasmine twines itself around anything within its reach, so I do not need to climb on a ladder each spring. I will take that as a win.

Swirls with fragrance

It has taken decades to get this close to my vision, but I think it’ll do.

Confederate jasmine: It’ll do

FLOW

AI Mushroom Id.

| Flower Roberts

This is a first for me. I have used apps to identify plants for years.

Mystery Mushroom

I found this mushroom in the blueberry patch on top of the mulch.

I dissected it because the gills were covered.
The stem is very stout and fibrous.

Dissected mushroom


AI says it is a wine cap mushroom.

Covered gills
Uncovered gills


I NEVER EAT mushrooms I find. I like my liver too much. I think AI did a good job of using the photos I provided to identify this mushroom.


If I had not uncovered the gills, would it have said it was a King Boletto?
I may try it again with another speciman and see if it comes up with the same results.

App identification

FLOWER loves her liver

Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage California

| Flower Roberts

I cannot possibly do this marvelous place justice with words nor photos. It is a famous garden and former home of Walter and Leonore Annenberg. The conference center and grounds opened in 1966.  It has been used by many presidents and famous leaders from all over the world. It was the site of many events of international diplomacy. Queen Elizabeth visited the center in 1983.

There is a famous bench where President Obama sat with China’s president Xi Jinping for a photo during their conference in 2013.

We meant to sit on it for a group photo.

I have never been to such a garden. The beds were arranged in geometric patterns with only one type of plant per bed. They referred to these as ‘specimen gardens.’ I was fascinated by these because you see the same type of plant growing side-by-side with dozens of its clones, but no two are exactly identical. I had to pause and study these groups over and over again.

The shade was greatly appreciated.

The brochure links to a website that describes the trial and error methods used to come up with the best cultivars for each location. It has been like a giant horticultural experiment.

Mix of forms

The history of Sunnylands is covered in a short film. It showed how this gorgeous site was envisioned and created by the Annenbergs. The film also shared how diplomacy used to be.

I particularly loved this canal of river rock.

Soothing sight on a hot afternoon.

This place is worthy of numerous visits. It is an amazing place with a fascinating history.

FLOWER among cacti

Water

| Flower Roberts

There has been drought in many places in North Carolina. Water restrictions are in place in cities. We notice the dryness. We pray for rain. We carefully water our plants in distress. But most of us do not really feel desperate like nature does.


There’s been some shaming here on the mountain. Not by words, but by the actions of my wild neighbors. I must be a better community member to them.

I set up a water bowl with a solar powered fountain. It is pretty and the splashing sounds are soothing. On sunny days its water spout gets high enough to send water outside the rim. To stop this, I just flip the solar pad upside down and leave it in place.

It seems that this caused a new problem. The floating device got in the way of the thirsty wildlife. I know this because two of the arms that keep the floating fountain centered were chewed off. The teeth markers indicate deer.

My friend, Lucy, and I were discussing whether birds need a bath or just like a bath. I said they probably enjoyed a bath but bathing was not as necessary as drinking. Should I apply this belief to my own needs during droughts?

Little bird baths

Soon after this conversation, I spotted little birds taking baths in a waxy box top that held baby plants on the picnic table. They did look like they were enjoying their time splashing around in the box. There was a little line of waiting birds. Waiting in line to enjoy the little bit of available water.

There is an actual birdbath here that got moved under the deck and never put back out in the yard. Mama used to clean it carefully with a brush and refill it every time we came up the mountain.

The dry, unused birdbath

I have not been as thoughtful as she. I will get Mr. Flower to help me move it back out. I plan to keep it cleaned and filled with  water for my wild friends, like a good neighbor should.

FLOW

Deer Damage

| Flower Roberts

I am back at the lake for a weekend. There has been drought conditions here. I expected things to be dry. The unexpected find was the level of deer damage. The herd is hungrier than ever.

We might as well dig up all the hydrangeas.

Butchered bush

They usually leave the tiger lilies alone. Both stands have been beheaded inside support rings. Their are only one or two tops left that may bloom. The rest are done for the year.

Beheaded tigers


The patch of pineapple lilies has been sheared off to only five inches high. I will fence this in tomorrow. The flower stalks emerge later, so they may still be able to bloom.

Eaten pineapple lilies

I still have some Amaryllis/Hippeastrum out in the gardens. Poor Moonscene was mutilated.

The only Moonscene bloom not totally destroyed.
Munched on Moonscene

The two pinks had fences on top, so they are safe.

Atleast sweet little Santiago is safe on the porch.

Santiago

I must accept that this place has reached the point of diminishing returns. It’s tough to see decades of work go down the drain.

I will be rescuing a few favorites and letting the rest go. I am hiring help for a big purge. I have been losing this battle for years now. It is past time to cut my losses.

There have been some good things, too. Rose caught a catfish this evening. 

Catfish:caught and let go

We all got to see the gorgeous fox come out at dusk. I will appreciate what is still here while I am here.

I miss the mountain.

The view from the porch.

FLOW

Plant People Bonding

| Flower Roberts

If you are a Plant Person you know that all you have to do to make friends with other Plant People is recognize one of their plants and call it by name with love in your voice. When people know your plants, they know you.

Yin Yang riverstone art among lantana, bougainvillea and Texas sages

This happens wherever I go. I call a plant name over a wall and next thing I know, I am invited in for a tour or even a concert on a grand piano. Yes…that happened in Bramwell. (Look it up in the search bar.)

My sis and I walked most mornings in Palm Springs. We loved admiring the xeroscape landscaping. I was not familiar with most plants, but one near-by yard was full of old friends that I knew well.

One of the gardeners was outside doing some morning watering. I dropped a few plant names. VOILA!

My new friend Neal

We were invited in to tour the front gardens. We then got to enter a gate to a hidden garden around back only after Neal checked to be sure that Roger had clothes on. It was Naked Gardening Day.

Rogers reflection and a white bird of paradise, begonia, philodendron…

What a plant haven/heaven they have created. I examined every luscious plant. What a collection! Roger gave me tips on growing special plants and koi pond maintenance.

Pond in a pail

These two new friends made our morning extra special. The tour of their private botanical garden was a highlight of an already fabulous adventure. They have developed a microclimate using shade and water to grow plants that would not normally survive in Palm Springs.  Roger is a Plant Whisperer.

Begonias and Wondering Jew, impatiens, coleus

Plant People bond over plants. We have a common passion which instantly connects us. Our blood runs green.

I hope Neal or Roger messages me on this blog. I am wanting to share ‘The Gran Plant’ (redbird cactus) to see if they can get it to bloom.

FLOWER

Walking Among Windmills

| Flower Roberts

I stepped into the future last week. I walked around in a wind farm. The Palm Springs Windmills are located in the San Gorgonio Pass between two of the San Bernadino Mountains.

Wind farm in San Gorgonio Pass

The wind gets funneled through this pass. This is one of the largest and most productive windfarms in the US.

Silently swirling groups of various sizes.

The self-guided tour started with a film in a green trailor they called a building. The film described the evolution of the designs of the towers and blades. It also mentioned how Enron’s bankruptcy affected the business.

Giant tower, nacelle and blades

The best design so far is the round tower with three blades. The tips are pitchable and the motor turns the blades into the wind. The film showed a worker climbing inside the tower to the nacelle to service the generator and gears. Not for me!

Old inefficient designs of the past

Collaboration to achieve the most efficient form of wind energy is crucial. This involves various companies to promote the technology, federal and state investment in  subsidies and better battery storage of energy.

Driving tour between green painted rocks

There would be better photos but I got distracted by a toy windmill in the green building and a lizard running between artifacts.

I wanted one, but retrained myself.

FLOW

P.S. The windmills did not make noise and no birds were killed while I was there.

Mama’s Pansies

| Flower Roberts

I find different ways to keep my parents close. Plants are part of that. I have been re-habing Daddy’s neglected blueberry patch.

Five years of pruning done in one season. Yikes.

My Mama loved pansies, so I planted some in pots near the entrance. I check on them as I enter and leave.

Mama’s pansies, Daddy’s bluebird flag.

I remembered Mama’s pansy gardens on Enwood as I trimmed and fed these just now.

Pinky pansies.

This is our second Mother’s Day without Mama. The first one was a painful blur.

Mama at Enwood

On this day from now on, I will do something that I would have done if my Mama were still here…like taking care of her pansies.

Remembering Mama

FLOWER

Art Portals in Palm Springs

| Flower Roberts

A paintball pallette almost tripped me. I could have fallen into that trapdoor on the floor. That is when I knew this was a tricky museum.

A pearl pin bonnet tempted me to put it on,  but I saw those 31,863 pins and knew it was a Seer Bonnet to trap pathetic women desparate to wear pretty pearls and convert them. Vanity has its price.

Lovely pearls of pain.
Painfully pretty pioneering bonnet by Angela Ellsworth.

The tricky twin symmetry crisscross doorway tried to lure me to its middle by confusing me with its identical sides. I was wise to its ways and backed away.

Right is left is right

A melting tapestry by Faig Ahmed from Azerbaijan lured me close to the spot where I too could have been melted. I never knew museums could be so dangerous!

Too hot to hold
Melted mosaic mesmerizing art patrons.

There was a spaceship that tempted me to tilt forward and look inside. I could see to infinity and beyond. I straightened up and slowly backed away from the otherworldly display.

The Rhombicosadecahedron Spaceship

Next thing I knew I was back on the front steps of the Palm Springs Art Museum with my friends.  We could have ended up in some weird places, but we know art portals when we spy them. Whew!

FLOOOOOOW

Flamingo Pink

| Flower Roberts

I was never a pink girl, but flamingo pink gets me. I must pause for that pink.

My family has several flamingo stories. One is about Daddy and the other about little Rose.

Daddy said if there were jobs in heaven, he wanted to help birds. He paused. We waited for him to say bluebirds, but instead he said he wanted to help the flamingos. Mr. Bluebird turns pink!

My son and I distinctly remember the Rose and Flamingo Pink story. We were out on our deck making a model of a flamingo out of trash for his first grade project. Four-year-old Rose wanted to be involved. I gave her all the paint squirt bottles and told her to mix up flamingo pink for our future bird on a paper plate. We turned our attention back to our big pop bottle body, paper towel roll neck and assorted trash for legs, beak, feathers and feet.

Faded after 30+ years

Rose was busy mixing paint unattended. I assumed a mess was being made. My son and I were bending the wire legs when Rose announced she was done.

Her brother and I looked over at Rose and the plate. It was full of the perfect Flamingo pink! No mess. No other colors just that pink with a hint of peach.

We were stunned. We looked at each other and then little Rose. The irony is she does not even like pink. I hope she will wear these socks I bought for her anyway.

Socks souvenir for Rose

So flamingos will always hold my attention and bring back memories of little Rose and my Bluebird Daddy.

Flamingo art made of BEADS.

The house in Palm Springs had a Flamingo Pink theme. So we now have another set of pink stories. Here are pics of the Palm Springs Pink.

Close up of beads. Amazing!
WOWZA
Too cute to use.
Our pink door
Pink private patio. Flamingo friends.
Pink and white chairs with lovely shadows.

FLOW loves Flamingos

Rescue from the Road

| Flower Roberts

This plant in a crack kept me up one night. The next morning, I set out with a plastic spoon to find and rescue it.


It seem to be a metaphor for life’s struggles. It has struggled to survive in a terrible set of circumstances. Then one day a tire smashes it flat.

In need of rescue.


It was a terrible truism that I could remedy. So I did. This tiny Donkeytail Spurge will be pampered from now on.

I do what I can to bring justice to this world.

A Rotating Ride in the Sky

| Flower Roberts

We took a trip up to the top of the San Jacinto mountain on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

I loved that some windows were open to let in the breezes as we ascended to cooler temperatures. I appreciated that the tram innards slowly rotated, so everyone got to see the surrounding views without moving about. I wanted to hold on to my window, but it moved.

Photo by Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

The rotation and dips at the towers took some getting used to. I did not take photos during the ride. I was busy staying vertical.

The views from the top were spectacular.

Palm Springs Wind Farm

I was more relaxed on the trip down due to prior exerience. While my friends hiked down this trail and back up again my sis and I watched a short movie about the biodiversity of the mountain wildlife and the wind conditions between the two mountains, thus the wind farm.

Here they come!
FLOW

Stay tuned for Sunnylands. I am stoked.

FLOW on the move.

Red Yucca Blooms and Seedpods

| Flower Roberts

I love the structure of the red yuccas.

A spiky sea urchin- like base with a slender stalk rising high above the plant body to offer its blooms to hummingbirds.

The real name is Hesperaloe parviflora. May be called Hummingbird Yucca or Red False Yucca. I have seen the term false yucca several times here.

Red Yucca blooms and pods

I was happy to see it will grow in Zones 5-11.  I would love to add a drought tolerant plant as I purge my needy plants in the future.

Rock mulch xeriscaping

There are many examples of xeriscaping here. It is necessary to have plants that are drought tolerant here in Palm Springs California.

Functional and lovely

FLOW  liking low water land-scaping

The Rhombicosidodecahedron

| Flower Roberts

This amazing piece is near the entrance of the Palm Springs Art Museum. It was designed by Anthony James in 2020.

Rhombicosidodecahedron by Anthony James

The rhombicosidodecahedron is made of steel, specialized glass and LED lights.

My hypothesis is that the glass is one-way glass with mirrors on the inside surfaces. The reflected shapes inside repeat to infinity.

Mesmerizing!

The name was too hard for me to say, so I called it the Buckyball Mirror Ball.

FLOW

Bougainvillea Bracts

| Flower Roberts

I have loved bougainvillea since one grew on my balcony in Santa Monica when I lived there as a child.

Bougainvillea

The true flowers are small and white. The colored bracts are what attracts the pollinators.

Flowers are tiny and white.


There is a bouganvilla spilling over the fence here. Its bracts perfectly match the deep pink theme color of the house’s door and decor.

Bract on a float


The match is too perfect to be coincidental. This is how design finds inspiration.

FLOWER among flowers and palms

Time Circles Take Their Time

| Flower Roberts

I have been in a writer’s funk since I put away the book about the Pearson Women. There has been some guilt about it. Now that I am my own Mama Bear, I am better about doing what is best for me even when guilt is involved. I am working on getting strong again after my three hip replacements in two years. I am proud of the results so far.

On Sunday, my bookclub discussed Kristin Hannah’s book THE WOMEN. We had enlightening discussions about the many events involving the main character, a Vietnam surgical nurse, and her two best friends, her parents and several love interests. Reading this book involving a controversial war was an emotional rollercoaster, but we were all glad we had pushed through and read it.

At the end of our discussion, I mentioned what I call ‘time circles.’  There a few were examples of this phenomena in the book.

This got me thinking about a strange event that occurred while I was cleaning out my mom’s house on Enwood.

I noticed two books in the office trash can. I wondered why my sister had thrown them away.  There were stacks of books everwhere. Why these two?

When I asked her about it, she did not know anything about the books. We pulled them out of the waste basket. Neither of us recalled having ever seen these two old  books.

Of course I thought it was a sign from Daddy. I pulled them out of the trash and read them both. One was a book about Vietnam, the other was a book about marriage.

I was disappointed. They seemed like old- fashioned propaganda from the 1960’s. The mystery of those books has stuck with me. I had no clue what either had to do with me…

UNTIL TODAY

You will have to wait for the circle’s completion.  Sometimes you find the end of a circle and sometimes you find a beginning. I call the beginning sign a ‘ heads up.’ The two books I found two years ago were a ‘heads up’ for events happening now. WOW!

I am going on a trip. I may blog, but this circle must wait. It will need my full attention when I return. Rest assured that I will hitting this ‘time circle’ hard when I get back.

There it is. That researcher’s excitement that I have been missing. Hooray!

Thanks Daddy

FLOW

The Brightest Iris

| Flower Roberts

This bearded iris is named BANANA FRAPPE’. It’s blooms glow in the afternoon sun.

Banana Frappe’

It is alone in a bed because it is a bully. That means it grows quickly and hogs all the space.

Bully Banana Frappe”

My slow-growers must be isolated from the aggressive bullies like Banana Frappe’.

FLOWER

Lovey Dovey Relocated

| Flower Roberts

My dove nest got relocated due to poop and peskiness. Rose’s car was being pooped on and Mr. Flower did not enjoy the company of dive-bombing doves. He startled them leaving for work in the dark. No eggs were involved.

The nest was removed. The plastic sleds were put on top of the old wooden sled to discourage future nesting. I am not happy that my friends were made to feel unwelcome.

I was sitting in the carport lamenting my loss, when I spied a pile of sticks on a frame with hardware cloth attached to it in the front corner of the carport. It is a bit too close to Mr. Flower’s precious truck.

New nest

I climbed up on the trusty ladder again to get a better view. There was that familiar little eye looking back at me.

Up on a ladder again!

I hope Lovey Dovey can roost here unpestered.

Howdy Lovey Dovey

Fingers crossed,

FLOW

My Daddy’s Last Iris

| Flower Roberts

This is the most beautiful bearded iris I have ever seen. It is also the only hybrid rescued from the vole attack at Enwood, my parents’ former home.

Let’s Dance bearded iris

I feel blessed that it survived being eaten, being moved and being transplanted. Its real name is ‘Let’s Dance’ but I will always think of it as Daddy’s Last Iris.

Daddy by the iris bed.
Let’s Dance

FLOWER

Nesting Doves

| Flower Roberts

I was surprised by a young dove that was not surprised by me while I was home. I walked with in feet of it before seeing it. It stared at me like I was just another part of the landscape.

Young dove watching me pack my car.


The doves had been watching us from up in the carport trusses. They were habituated to people coming and going, so they were not startled by a person passing.


The nest sits on top of an old sled. I wanted this title to be Sledding Doves, but that would be too much of a stretch, even for me.

Messy nest hanging off the old sled.

I climbed Daddy’s sturdy ladder to take a peak at the nest. I was eye-to-eye with the dove when my head poked above the ceiling joists.

Howdy Dovey

The nest was a messy pile of sticks. Just enough form to keep the eggs from rolling away. I read that doves take turns parenting their young, so I do not know which parent was on the sticks.

Our new neighbor.

I am happy when wildlife settles down around my home. These doves were a sweet surprise.

FLOW

The Many Kinds of Loss

| Flower Roberts

I have been wandering and pondering this morning. It is a day that needs balancing.

My mama died on the morning of April 12, 2025. She has been gone a whole year. One Thanksgiving, one Christmas, one birthday and one Easter. I am planting a pink garden on the mountain in her memory.

I am home now. The site of more loss. Life goes on whether you are paying attention or not. There are things lost whether you are paying attention or not. Many things disappear while you are not looking.

My garden has missed me. My house has missed me. I am okay with that. I do not have the strength nor the stamina to stay here. I must not lose myself.

I toured my gardens with my camera this morning. I took only lovely photos to share, except for one.

This scene you will recognize. These two statues are named Lily and Moss. I have written stories about them. Today, I will let a photo tell the story.

There are many kinds of loss. I miss my well mama, but not the sick suffering one. Her loss was gradual. We lost bits of her long before April 12. Little steps that sometimes went unnoticed. That’s how loss works. It is sneaky.

Are you paying attention?

FLOW

My Needy Garden

| Flower Roberts

I came home for a few days. I have hauled most of my small plants out of my workshop. I cannot budge the big ones. Mr. Flower will have to assist.

I hate to admit that my heart no longer loves them like it used to. I feel their need pulling me down. Thank goodness I have given about 2/3 of my collection away.

I did some weeding and trimming today. I also took photos of my garden. Here are a few.

This huge azalea must be protected by fence. Any sprout that sticks out is eaten twig and all my the herd of fifteen deer.

Little Much bearded iris

This gentle iris was surrounded and strangled by some bullies, especially pink Persian Berry. It has thrived on this bank in isolation.

Rose and I spotted a visitor as we sat in the swing. Our friend the fox trotted across the yard and headed up into the woods. I was thrilled to see it looking so healthy.

Our neighbor the fox.

My iris bed has two types blooming now. Persian Berry and Thunder Echo.

Persian Berry (back) and Thunder Echo iris

I am glad to be home, but next time I come, I will have my assistant joining me. Seeing so much to do and not being able to do it was frustrating.

FLOW and the fox

The Tree in the Dale

| Flower Roberts

I have always admired trees. Their shape and their shade are appreciated. There are some trees that I especially love. I remember these as important landmarks. I look for these old friends when I return to those places.

I went back to the picnic spot by the mountain stream yesterday. I took a bag of root chips, water and my camera. I meant to bring a book, but it was left in the kitchen. I go to this place to read. There is spotty phone service and no internet here, so it keeps me form scrolling the horrific events of war and politics. I make myself take breaks between calls and letter writing and posting and sharing…

I wandered around with my memories along the banks of the streams. There have been changes. I will share that later. I was looking for things that have not changed. I need some mooring right now. What could be more steadying than an old, familiar tree?

This was one of the sights I came for…The Tree in the Dale.

It stands in the middle of lovely sloping pastures. From the picnic site, only its crown is visible. It peeks over the hills. Seeing just its top was a comfort. I was not up for a hike to its shade.

I just wanted to put my eyes on this tree that I have loved through time. I keep returning to places of the past. Searching for echoes. Hoping for old threads to attach myself to.

A tree is pretty steady mooring for that.

I am grateful for the tree in the dale.

FLOW

Familiar Faces from Home

| Flower Roberts

I really needed a visit from my flowers this morning. Mr. Flower knew this. On his one day off, he took the time to tour our yard and photograph my flowers.


I have kept his shadows in the photos to remind me who took these pictures.  This is a very sad fifth anniversary for our family. Actually it was worst day of our lives, especially for him and his mom and sis.  

On this day he has chosen to send me flowers.That’s what love looks like. The real kind. The long game.


Thank you so much hubby. Enjoy your day at the farm. Hug your sister. Carry on.

Here he is photographing our thirty-six-year-old azaleas. I was young then. I could not decide on a color, so I bought one of each. My first horticultural experiment at the lake.

Mr. Flower’s shadow

Grateful

Love FLOWER

A Walk at Flat Top

| Flower Roberts

I tried another new trail today. I am picking flat places to walk by myself. Any time I hike on uneven terrain or wander off the trail, some stumbling starts. I did not take my walking stick today, so I had to be extra careful.

Brackets and moss on a dead tree.

Today’s walk was on one of the roads around the Flat Top Manor, which is also known as the Moses Cone Estate. The mansion is not open yet, but you can park and walk the grounds.

Moses Cone Estate

I am happy to report that I wobbled but did not fall down today. I also got some pictures of lovely bracket fungi. I found colonies on several dead trees. Brackets are identified by color, top texture and pores.

I did not risk climbing up or down banks to identify these. We will appreciate them from afar.

Large bracket

I also spotted a single Bloodroot bloom.

Bloodroot flower

Finding all this and not falling down was a win:win!

FLOWER

Great Grandpa Pearson

| Flower Roberts

This man will be the subject of my writing this week.

LOREN PEARSON

I never met him.

He was killed by a train on his own farm when his truck stalled on the tracks.

I wonder if Great Grandma heard the crash?

This trainwreck was a pivotal event in the lives of THE FOUR PEARSON WOMEN.

FLOWER

Fire Lily Bloom is Just a Little Spark

| Flower Roberts

Bummer. I have done too much hovering again. My ‘Fire Lily’ orange Clivia has squealed on my overzealous mothering by putting up a short stalk with only two flowers.

CLIVIA after too much mothering.

I brought it to the mountain because it is a favorite. I wanted to keep an eye on it. It needed to go to the cool basement and kept dry. Instead I kept it upstairs and watered it with the other plants. It’s a baby, it needed to grow!

I will not make the same mistake next fall. I will be able to carry it down the stairs and check on it without watering it. I have avoided steps and hills for over two years.

I walked two miles for the first time since hip surgery with my friend Libby yesterday. That was my post surgery goal. Hooray. I plan to soon return to the trails with my trusty walking stick which turns into a seat.

Let’s hope my more mature Clivia ‘Good Hope’ won’t end up with a short stem, too. It is usually a show stopper when it’s giant yellow bloom opens.

I need to quit this smothering!

FLOW

Mama’s Pansies

| Flower Roberts

I cannot see a pansy without thinking of Mama. The earliest flowers at Enwood were pansies. The flower garden at the lamp post was called ‘The Pansy Bed.’

Photos of Mama’s pansies

This is our first spring without Mama, so planting pansies feels different. The first time I went to buy some, I cried and left. But I returned yesterday and took my time perusing the pansies and thinking of Mama.

Delta Tapestry

Her pansies had to be pinkish but complicated. I chose Viola Collosus ‘Rose Medley’ and Viola ‘Delta Tapestry.’ Rose Medley got put in a pot this morning.

Viola Collosus ‘Rose Medley’

I clipped some blooms to press between parchment. I plan to put these in a frame in the Pansy Room.

Flattened for drying

We named the bedrooms here on the mountain. Mama’s namesake is The Pansy Room. The door is marked by a big beautiful pansy sticker.

Door of The Pansy Room

There are pictures of Mama’s pansy bed at Enwood on display. There is a photo of Mama standing by her pansies in a colorful dress.

Mama with her pansies at Enwood.

Rose and I have found pansy fabrics to use in that room. Rose even has pansy sheets for her bed in there.

Pansy material

Not to leave Daddy out, another room is ‘The Bluebird Room.’ That post will come after my sister and I finish repainting Daddy’s bluebird houses. Stay tuned.

FLOW

Photos Sent from Home

| Flower Roberts

I usually love spring. This year I miss my gardens, but I am constantly reminded of my lack of stamina. It is frustrating for an over-achiever like me to run out of steam before finishing simple projects. It happened again today.


Mr. Flower just sent me these photos from home. Home is on a hill with steps inside and out. The house on the mountain does not require cilmbing hills nor steps, but one hip or the other hurts just about every day.
I listen to that pain. I am not ready to push through it. My body has been through too much trauma and slow healing to risk further injury.

I am happy to see these familiar faces as I rest before “round two” of  chores and projects. I wanted to be “Strong by Spring.” That has been my mantra. I will continue to carefully work toward that goal.

Here are today’s blooms from home.

Quince in a fence.
Daffodils on a hill.
Poncirius bloom fully opened.
Thalia being gorgeous.
Almond bush from Enwood in full bloom.

FLOW

My Garden Back Home

| Flower Roberts

I have abandoned over thirty years worth of gardening work at Wildwood. Every time I go home I work too hard try to make up for lost time. Mr. Flower tries to get me to relax. We did sit a spell in the gliders out in the sunshine one afternoon. Neither one of us can sit still for long.

This is my second spring away from home. The spring before that I could barely walk, so technically my garden has been neglected for three growing seasons. I am amazed it is not worse. My husband tries to manage the worse spots. I noticed scattered piles of last year’s dead foliage. I appreciate his efforts.

I am not strong enough to tackle the garden rehab myself. I am still working on my own healing. I feel overwhelmed looking at all that needs to be done back at home. My husband has too much responsibilities of his own to pick up my slack. Judge me if you must. I am in survival mode. It was me or everything else. I chose me.

I silently walked the deck perimeter each morning with my coffee. I peered over the railing to see which plants were sending upgreen shoots. It was a bit liberating to see needs and not try take ownership of them. I know my limits. Set-backs are too brutal to risk.

I will brag that my gardens have good bones. My plants were well-chosen, well-placed and well-planted. They are surviving without my hovering. That was  always my goal.

Sweet Betsy reminds me of my friend Sandra. She had an Aunt Betsy and wanted part of this plant. She planted it in her yard in Charlotte.
This quince, Chaenomeles ‘Double Take Orange Storm’ is in a fence because the deer would demolish it.
White by the Gate Camellia must also confined to a big, tall circle of fence.
This tiny flowering almond bush came from my parent’s home on Enwood. I am so glad I took some before we sold it.
I almost missed the Edgeworthia blooming. These blooms have a magical scent.
Clusters of Starflower, ‘Alberto Castillo’, Ipheion uniflorum used to be in many locations around the gardens, but the deer herd has nibbled most down to stubs. These stray bulbs were  the only ones with blooms.

I am glad I made it back home for a garden check-up. I will try to get back more often now that there should be less snow to imprison me. This last set of blizzards made me rethink my present location for the first time ever.

Weeds will always win whether I am fighting them constantly or not.  I may eventually have to hire some help while I am home. Weeds winning does not make me sad.

Nature will ALWAYS WIN.

That is how it should be.

FLOWER

The Three Weepers

| Flower Roberts

Palmer wanted me to see his three new trees during my visit. He said folks hit their brakes as they drove by to get a better look. I spotted them as we pulled in to the drive.

Jeepers, creepers where’d he get those Weepers? They are weeping peach trees, ‘Crimson Cascade.’ The foliage will be deep maroon. Mature size is said to be 12 feet tall and eight feet wide. Hardiness Zones 5-9.

Weeping peach ‘Crimson Cascade’
Double blooms

He got these at different places. He noticed the slight color differences. I had trouble differentiating the three because  my camera, my computer and my phone all morphed the pinks.

This one has less of a coral tint.
Hot pink double, stamen not as pink

I have a habit of doing a full shot with identifiable location and then a close-up or two. This habit has helped me keep track of plants. During this visit I took 224 photos, so any little hint helps.

Prunus persica, Hot pink with hint of crimson
This color seems between the other two.

I also focus on similar groups at once to keep them together for comparison. I have blogged for almost eleven years so I have developed some skills. I do not count on my memory.

Here are Palmer’s the three weeping peach trees. Their form is slightly contorted which gives them interest. The blooms cluster near the twigs.

Palmer said they were covered with little peaches last summer.  I hope I get to see that. Squirrels got them, so I better get a fruit alert.

If I were not friends of Lucy and Palmer already, I would have left a note in their mailbox asking for the names of these weepers. WOW!

He should have his own blog. He has created an amazing botanical garden. My good friend Lucy is his wife. Their dog zealously guards the garden.

Ferocious beast

FLOW

Palmer’s Blooming Palm

| Flower Roberts

I went to visit my friend Palmer’s gardens while I was home. There was much to see. I call him Palmer because he has an unusual collection of palm trees.

Male blooms of Chinese windmill palm.

I was particularly interested in this one that was blooming. It is a Trachycarpus fortunei. It is also called a Chinese windmill palm, Chusan palm and Hemp palm.

It does resemble a windmill.

I have not had much opportunity to see palm blooms upclose. The form of these opening blooms was unusual and complex.

Male buds in sheathing

These palms are evergreen and also dioecious, which means separate sexes on separate trees.

Panicle of male blooms on Trachycarpus fortunei.

This one is cold hardy. Palmer says this one has survived a period of 7° F. I wish I had had more time during the visit to discuss his other palms. This is one of the hardiest palms. My research claimed it as a Zone 5.

Buds opening

I promised to return when a particular tree is blooming next month. I will take better notes then.

Palmer’s other passion is weeping trees. Stay tuned to see several of those and an amazing array of azaleas.

FLOW in snow on St. Patrick’s Day

More Prep for the Move

| Flower Roberts

Before any plants get relocated, their new home must be prepared. Today I cleared weeds and trimmed herbs in the former bunny yard. Then I put down all the  cardboard I have been collecting to serve as a barrier between the ground and the fabric pots.


I also hooked one of the two labels for each plant to be moved onto the handles of a fabric pot. I placed the fabric pots and plant labels into paper bags for different gardens, so I can easily put the labels on the actual plants.

Tiger lilies were left alone until last year.
Pineapple lily is a new favorite.

The crew will check to see if the plant label matches the pot label before moving it inside the fence.

Labels on fabric pots will match labels on plants, hopefully!

I checked each garden this evening and found some plants that I had forgotten were there. These names must be added to area lists and labels will be made. Unfortunately, I also discovered a whole row that has disappeared. I will dig a bit to be sure they are truly gone in the morning.  These are old plants near the driveway which are easily accessible to deer from the woods

These disappearances confirmed that the moving is necessary. Once all “deer food” is safe inside the fence, I can then care for the victims and find new homes that do not have a herd of hungry deer.

I previously dug sedums and put them in pots on the deck bridge to the entrance. The deer found them and have trimmed them. Some pots were even pushed over and broken.

Munched on Matrona sedum

This behavior shows how hungry and desperate the herd is. Fawns learn what to eat from smelling their mother’s breath. I have had deer eating here since 2018, so seven generations have been trained to eat daylilies, sedums, Solomon’s seal, Pineapple lilies, tiger lilies, lily of the valley, Stokes aster Peachie’s Pick, butterfly weed and gladiolus blooms. Nature always wins. I am not mad about this. Nature must win. That is how it should be. My role is to remove artificial food sources. Discouragement techniques no longer work because of the drought, herd size and habitat loss due to surrounding development.

Mr. Flower saw some of the herd peeking from the forests’ edge this morning. I think they were wondering who that lady was in their produce section.

Somebody’s watchin’ me!

This is alot of work, but I feel it is the right thing to do for the plants and the herd. They need to disperse and forage on native plants.

FLOWER on the move

Change Causes Change

| Flower Roberts

More changes are coming. No shift stands alone. Even if you are in control of the first move, you have less control of the effects. Sometimes I refer to this as a cascade.

The Butterfly Effect is real. Although it sounds ridiculous that a butterfly flapping its wings can cause a tornado, a small shift in one part of a system can result in a large change elsewhere.

I have witnessed this over and over. I know to expect the unexpected. Any instability can cause chaos eventually.  A subtle, barely noticeable change can turn drastic over time.

So being the proactive person that I am, I respond with what I call “turtle mode.” I get very quiet and still and hide while peeking out to see what happens. Until I have a grasp of the new situation, I try to just be an observer. This may seem reactive, but why fight the tide as it comes in?

I will be moving most of my plant collection next week, Mr. Flower will officially retire and the house next door in our neighborhood of three is for sale. That sounds like a tornado to me!

FLOW in her shell