Stones stay warm after the sun goes down. I have places to sit in my wall which are cozy on cool evenings. Sedums and succulents appreciate the warmth and good drainage of a stone wall.
My most interesting type of tiny plant in the wall is tucked in a safe spot behind a seat where I can sit next to it to care for it and enjoy it.
Chinese Dunce Cap
This is Orostachys malacphylla var. iwarenge. I call it by an easier name, Chinese Dunce Cap. It gets that name because its fall blooms are on tall cones.
Orostachys malacphylla var. iwarenge
I love the gray rosettes against the gray stones. This plant needs full sun and perfect drainage. You will want to sit near it while it blooms. The cones are complex and beautiful.
Janisse Ray is a nature writer with a deep, personal connection to the Altamaha River in Georgia. The firstpart of the book chronicals her week- long journey by kayak down one of the few undammed rivers in America.
Later sections describe various habitats along the river and efforts by Riverkeepers to protect the adjoining areas that protect the water quality of the river.
Map of the Altahmha RiverSecond section of map including delta
Janisse Ray’s love of her home state and this river are clearly evident in her documentations and reflections.
I have ordered two more of her books. I consider her work important and essential in keeping us all aware of the many human activities that threaten our rivers.
I found another treasure from my mama this Mother’s Day….My first Mother’s Day without a mother.
KiKi would find important things at the house at Enwood and bring them up to the mountains. She put my treasures in the chest of drawers in my room there. This was her way of making sure we kept the things that were important.
My find this past weekend was a single slide. It is of my sister and her deceased husband (Bill), me, my mama and three friends from Lebanon.
Semaan Saikali, his brother Salah and cousin Fouad came to our house for dinner. They brought a bottle of wine to my tea-totaling parents. In the photo they are showing my mama their photos from home.
Lebanese friends with my family
Later they played music and slithered around the livingroom writhing like cobras. They were charming entertainment. My sister and I enjoyed remembering our times with them this weekend. I would have never found this slide if Mama had not slipped it into my dresser drawer.
I have letters from the Lebanese in my writing box, but no photos. This is an important artifact to help me remember things. I am grateful to my thoughtful mother for saving this and stashing it in a safe place.
Our parents just keep on helping us. My dad left the box for the lost garage door opener and a spare battery inside it, so I would know what to order and which battery. This is how my parents were. Their legacy lives on every day. More gratitude from me!
These Lebanese are in a book I have been writing. I have gotten bogged down in the details. I like to think this was Mama’s way of reminding me to remember the important moments. That is what a story is for.
I think I finally figured out how to get this Epiphyllum to bloom. It spent all winter in front of a sunny window. It had buds before it was set outside.
EPIPHYLLUM Orchid Cactus
I gave it a good dose of Bloom Food and some succulent fertilizer. Last, I trimmed off about two dozen cuttings to share.
Red Orchid Cactus
Bingo. This plant has never bloomed this prolifically. It has stolen the show.
These three hybrids are the best bloomers. Strong stems are a must. I missed staking the stems before a storm, so some ended up soaked on the ground. I will put circles in place earlier next spring to prevent this.
Karl Rosenfield has dozens of blooms on each plant. There are also multiple blooms per stem.
Karl Rosenfield peony
Sarah Bernhardt is slow to open. But the buds are gorgeous.
Sarah Bernhardt peony
Duchess de Nemour has slightly asymmetrical blooms.
Duchess de Nemours
This last hot pink p double is from my great grandma Pearson’s farm in Ohio. It now belongs to four generations of my family.
Pearson peony
I put some beside my mama’s pink urn at her memorial service this weekend. It felt right to have those flowers with Mama for her service.
It rained last night. I love mornings in the garden after it has been refreshed by rain. The plants look so appreciative and perky. Here are a few photos of my favorites sprinkled with sparkling drops.
Moonscene AmaryllisNight Affair irisDaphne de Nemours peonySpider’s Web Fatsia
I saw this type of Blue Crown Passion Vine in Volterra, Italy. It was growing on the railing around our hotel. That vine also had orange fruits in it. This is a relative of our native North Catolina Maypop vine.
Blue Crown Passion Vine
This Blue Crown hybrid is almost ten years old. This particular plant came up from the roots of the mother vine which broke down the fence with its weight.
Three-part pistil
This second generation has sturdier support. I love looking off the deck and seeing dozens of these gorgeous blooms.
Pollen under stamen paddles
This is my absolute favorite flower in terms of structure. The colors are vivid and the pistil parts actually move up or down depending on conditions.
Every spring I sit above it in a chair and watch it pollinator visitors.
floweralley 