No words today. My mind is too full of thoughts to express them properly.
Flow
My Many Joys
Uncategorized
Floral Floor Cloth
I made this floor cloth over two decades ago when my children were small.
How did I manage it? Why did I attempt such a thing?
I puzzle about things like this now that I am afraid of a pencil.
What made me believe I could make a floor cloth and paint my favorite flowers on it?
I think I get this from my dad. I get an idea and become possessed with it.
I found it folded and smashed under a pile in the workshop last week.
I laid it out on the gravel to examine it.
There were those flowers from gardens past.
The dahlia that disappeared and the Texas Star from my grandmother.
The prolific Kwanzan daylily that I should have declined and a Clematis I loved and lost.
A white gladiola, a yellow Asiatic lily and a blackberry lily.
A Japanese iris, bracken fern and some bearded iris.
Bearded iris, Cecil Brunner rose that got giant, Bill Troutman poppy and a Sensitive fern.
And my beloved pink foxglove.
Maybe I’ll get possessed again and repaint it,
but first I need to get over my fear of colored pencils.
FLOW
Smother Lessons from a Vine
I am a helicopter mother for my plants also.
So I overprotect the rare ones whether they need it or not.
I have had this ‘Blue Crown’ hybrid Passion vine for four years.
When I finally got multiple starts by cuttings, I decided to risk leaving one outside.
Surprise! It stayed green all winter. The ones inside went dormant.
The ousted vine has climbed all over the fence.
The two potted clones have finally started to grow.
The one left out is covered in blooms. The protected ones are just now getting leaves.
Will I be bringing one in next winter?
Yes. Just in case it gets super cold. I will keep one stock plant inside.
Sometimes growing things need to be left alone. That includes children.
Flow
First Double Bloomer
Single blooming peonies have been in bloom for weeks. The doubles lag behind.
This is the first time Karl Rosenfield has bloomed here.
I am pleased with its huge, full blooms.
This one has a deep rich color and lush green foliage.
Stay tuned for my favorite which always blooms last.
Peonies are easy perennials but do not like to be disturbed.
Flower
Amaryllis Outside
I hope you did not toss that big bulb that bloomed over the holidays.
Here in the south, we can grow them in the garden.
I try several new varieties each Christmas.
Some have disappeared over the years.
I have wondered whether they were eaten or rotted.
I have found a solution that works for either problem.
I call it a “Rock Nest.”
Here I have used some lava rock. You can use any rocks or broken pots or bricks.
The point is to surround the bulb with material to help with drainage
and to protect it from digging critters that snack on our bulbs,
I also amend the soil because we have quite a bit of red clay here.
Be sure to mark your bulbs.
Also, take note of the height. Pink Surprise is tall and goes in the back of the bed.
Moon Scene was short so it goes in the front.
They like sun and warmth.
Don’t toss that bulb! Plant it outside.
Flow
My Morning Walks
I take a cup of coffee out onto the deck each morning to walk and think.
I stroll back and forth clearing my mind and planning my tasks for the day.
Sometimes it ends up being more like pacing. Back and forth, over and over.
My cup empty, shivering in my pajamas, chilled.
There are concerns. There are worries. I try to get these out of the way.
I took my camera on my walk today, so you could see what I see this spring morning.
I am surrounded by all this beauty.
You are gardeners. You see the evidence of years of work.
This has been my oasis and my prison.
I am still busy and useful and needed, but…
It seems so froufrou to be posting flowers during a pandemic.
That’s why I stopped blogging for a bit.
I was ashamed. I was unnecessary.
But I was told that my posts were missed and my blog was needed.
So forgive my frivolous folly.
I cannot save lives like my medical friends, but I can grow flowers.
I can share beauty.
I am not what I wanted to be, but this is me.
Love Flower
Helping Another Mother
One of my flying friends chose to build her nest in a precarious place.
I noticed the mud on the concrete first. Then little scraps of moss and grass.
I wanted to tell her this was not a great place, but she was very determined.
I placed a metal plate on the deck above her nest, so we would avoid that spot when we blew off the leaves and pollen.
I also knew that the beam her nest is on is in line with drips from the roof. That is where I set out my houseplants when it rains. I guess a bucket will go there now. Can’t let our nest of mud get wet!
Yesterday, I climbed a ladder while the parents were absent.
I held my camera over my head hoping to photograph eggs. Then I saw something tiny move.
Yes folks, I am a grandma again.
So I spent my Earth Day doing what we all should be doing, helping Mother Nature.
HAPPY EARTH DAY
Grandma Flow
A Visit from my Gran
I have had some consolation in my isolation.
I have been determined to make masks for my family.
I got my supplies ready only to discover my sewing machine was broken.
I mentioned this to my dad yesterday. He said he had one in his shop.
We pulled out an old dusty case from under a workbench.
This morning I opened it to find a treasure beyond measure.
My Gran’s machine is darling. I squealed with glee for the first time in weeks.
My great grandmother taught me how to sew when I was young.
We cut patterns out of newspaper and made doll clothes.
I sat there delicately touching the machine and feeling connected to these two women.
They lived through plague and wars. They supported their families. They managed.
So I will be sewing with my Gran and my great grandmother for a bit.
I don’t feel so alone now. They are with me. I have the skills they taught me.
I am grateful for the past coming for a visit during this tumultuous present.
What a gift!
Flower
Popping in with Star Double Pop Star
We are fine. Much has transpired. Staying safe is not easy. Please follow precautions.
I wanted to share this gorgeous dianthus from the fairy garden.
It is magical!
This is Star Double Pop Star Dianthus.
This is its second year in this location.
It seems to be very happy here.
I hope all of you are able to stay well.
Wash hands, wear a mask, social distancing, stay home…you know the drill.
I miss us.
Flow
floweralley 