Home for Battle

| Flower Roberts

I may be a weakened and injured warrior, but I still have a fighting heart for my green babies. It is past time for Deer Protection Phase II. That means that fence rings were put around all deer delicacies to protect the emerging foliage, but no stakes were in place to hang the rings.

Three rings ready for bloom stalks to rise.


My family tried to intervene with deer deterants, but the herd is so big now, they were undeterred. When we moved here there were no deer or squirrels and very few people. Things have changed drastically in the past decade.

Any fence or stake is put in the defense.
Rings hanging and fences blocking walkways

I have been hiking and hauling up and down the hills for hours. Stakes were placed for Mr. Flower to hammer in, since I should not stomp them in as usual. My body is now too expensive to be used as a gardening tool.

I must admit that I automatically stomped several in before I caught myself. I was pleased to get away with this move without an ambulance ride following. I hope my two PT people, Rick and Jeff, do not read this.

I also use tomato cages and a hanging fence ring. Things start looking a bit messy this time of year, due to my using any old thing on hand to inconvenience our hungry herd.

HEAVY Tomato cage and fence ring

They eat daylily and Asiatic lily buds before they open. They behead all sedums be it new foliage or blooms. This year I was shocked to find an entire Tiger lily topped off. They usually leave the tigers alone.

Beheaded Tiger lilies. Bummer

I am pleased that my hips, knees and shoulder allowed me to work all day. I am sure they will not allow me to sleep tonight as punishment.

I hope all this will save my blooms. I am too old to battle a big herd of hungry deer, but I am not out of the fight yet!

FIGHTING FLOWER

Wild Passion and Butterfly Weed

| Flower Roberts

My bank is where the wild things grow. I do not fight the weeds over there. It let plants battle it out on the bank. Only the fittest thrive across the drive.

A weed and some passion

Two of my favorites are this wild purple passion vine we call Maypop. The orange is butterfly weed. I love this combination of color.

Maypop

I watch this bank for butterflies all summer long. It is a well-remembered spot for my flying friends.

Butterflies and deer love it.

I highly recommend a wild spot in your garden. It is a place I enjoy without all the maintenance. I do not fight weeds nor deer over here.

FLOWER

Tiny Plants in a Stone Wall

| Flower Roberts

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.

My warm seat in the evenings.

FLOWER

A Trip Down a River with a Writer

| Flower Roberts

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 River
Second 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.

FLOWER.

Things Mama Left for Me

| Flower Roberts

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.

Thank you Kiki, for this Mother’s Day gift.

FLOWER

The Crazy Orchid Cactus

| Flower Roberts

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.

FLOW

Double Peonies

| Flower Roberts

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.

Pearson family peony with Mama’s urn.

FLOWER

Pistils Up

| Flower Roberts

I was amazed when I discovered that the three-part pistils of the Passion Bloom lift up when it rains.

Pistils pointing up

My hypothesis is to prevent self-fertilization from splashing pollen. No time to research that today, but I know one of you knows so leave a comment.

Gorgeous Blue Crown Passion

Absolutely LOVE this vine.

FLOW

After a Rain

| Flower Roberts

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 Amaryllis
Night Affair iris
Daphne de Nemours peony
Spider’s Web Fatsia

FLOW