Arbor Day . . .Sorta

I saw this arbor on Pinterest and decided we needed one. Mostly because last week I found a bunch of volunteer Sweet Autumn Clematis growing all over in the wrong spots in the yard. We already have two huge vines but what's one or two more? Experience tells me that those upstarts would cover this arbor completely in just two seasons.


I dug up and potted six of the clematis volunteers and then Dave and I shopped online and found this kit we could assemble ourselves.
 I am leaving out the mud, the blood and the beer part of the story ...but we did manage to figure it out pretty much ourselves with the aid of these instructions. We work very well together, heh.


We carried it around the yard and tried it in various spots. We'll leave it here for a few days to see if there isn't a better place for it.


It is pretty nutty to buy an arbor just to have a place to plant more clematis vines, but now that we are really old farts, it is just the thing we find ourselves doing. We joked that we now need a wood burning tool to fashion a sign to post above the arbor that says Agnes and Clarence.
At our old house in Illinois we had lots of clematis surrounding the deck. Var. C. Attackus.

Before blooming and after the blooms open.

 

This will sorta be the garden view from the arbor.

Camelot

I know it sounds a bit bizarre,
But in Camelot, Camelot
That's how conditions are.
The rain may never fall till after sundown.
By eight, the morning fog must disappear.
In short, there's simply not
A more congenial spot
For happily-ever-aftering than here
In Camelot.


Bloomers of the day: Sage, a favorite perennial herb, which I love more now that I know about sautéing it in butter and adding it to butternut squash ravioli. Heavenly. Under the stems I have parsley, flatleaf and curly, and rosemary, which I have never grown before. Of course it was a potted plant, so I can't really take credit. If it lasts through the winter, then I'll take the prize.
The Knockout Rose is going nuts. Originally I planted it and four other little ones all a foot apart, stupidly. The rest didn't make it, but this one has made up for it.

Here's a baby picture of one of the five nasturtiums I put into the hanging pot of petunias and superbells. There will be cascading stems and orange/yellow/red blooms on those...I hope. Dave and the dawgs are about to have breakfast on the porch.


Chumley had the cereal bowl to lick, making him feel superior.

Dutch, Japanese or German Iris, I can't remember which, are blooming in the shade garden, and the hyacinth beans have sprouted in the deck planter, next to the Picasso Petunias. Green edged pink beauties.
Today we are hoping to hear from the boat store, whether they will buy the boat outright or put it on consignment. I am hoping for good news. Since it is an approaching holiday weekend, sales should be brisk and that boat is in spiffy condition, as Dave polished it all winter!
It started raining a little as I took this shot, and a droplet or two fell on my lens. Still, it shows the lushness of this season. We are so glad to have woodchips instead of grass here. No mowing and I can gradually expand my garden as needed. Ha!

Staycation 2013

I've been enjoying a very busy staycation, in my garden. What's the point of having a nice garden if you stay indoors and ignore it? So I have been actively setting up chairs for the view, and having a nice book and beverage with me and just lolling in the sun. When we have sun...
When it rains like crazy, which it has done almost every day of my staycation, I am also loving that restful time... in my room, with a nice book and a beverage, and a wonderful nap.
I rescued the iris and peonies before the deluge and we are enjoying their fragrances inside.

The pups accompany me wherever I choose to sit and we are all loving the humming bees, chirping birds and slowly floating butterflies.
At night I am serenaded by bullfrogs, tree toads and raindrops.
Ambition has left the building. I did try to get up for some artwork but the breeze seduced me into a walk.






The hosta that I moved a few seasons ago are enjoying plenty of elbow room, which they needed, to get to be the giants they have become. The lighter green Sum and Substance is easily four feet across as is the Krossa Regal. Love these sturdy beauties!

The smaller hosta are copacetic in their little circle bed, along with lily of the valley and some Siberian Iris.



Dave's driveway beds are looking both tidy and artistic at this time of year. The transplanted miscanthus grass is the perfect specimen between the fir and the magnolia. And the hosta varieties are enjoying the plentiful rain. Let's hope they don't get too burned when the summer sun arrives.
Chester is on guard for intruders, should they appear.

Here's a little before picture from our first year, in the late autumn. My how things have changed. Dave recently got another load of stone to increase the height of the wall. To think I voted NO on the stone wall originally. Wrong! I love it of course.
Today I plan to do more or less what I have been doing last week. Unless ambition arrives.

Adios to the Boat

After months of trying, Dave and his friend Dave got the boat out of the garage. It was stuck inside, and was very difficult to maneuver on the trailer, so they first spent a few hours moving it from one bay to the other, gave up and tried again the next day. Finally it got set straight and out it came, undamaged, with only inches to spare. How did they get in there in the first place? Can't answer that one.
Recently Dave decided that the boat was just not for him. (!) and has decided to sell it to the boat shop in the city. I hope. He is taking it in today. I hesitate to announce this on the blog, but I have such high hopes that this plan will work. Originally I was going along with him, but then he decided to handle this alone. Good man.


It's opening day for the yellow iris, and I have just about planted or transplanted everything I had planned. I do believe I can come back inside and attend to the house again. This bucket of coneflowers came out of Dave's Memorial Garden aka My Big Garden Mistake and had nowhere else to go so they are staying planted in this nice red plastic bucket, until further notice.


A few fish pictures. The blue and red fish is a shubunkin which is three years old and that is the biggest he'll get. The other is our big koi, who seems to keep growing. The pond is coated with pollen, as is everything else in the yard, and patio and table tops. We might get rain today, hopefully, to wash it all away.
Now that the gardening is done, I will be turning my attentions back to the studio....we'll see what happens there soon.

Planting Days

I love the sun on the house at 6am. It's gonna be another hot one today and I am planning on putting in my tomatoes, peppers, squash and green bean seeds, so an early start is needed. But first, a catch up on how things are progressing everywhere else. 
I shopped for veggie plants yesterday and had to bring home these red leaved begonias. I'll squeeze them in somewhere! Next to them are two pots of squash, yellow straight neck and Black Beauty zucchini. Not shown are my tomatoes, Black Prince, a Russian heirloom, Super Fantastic, and Beefmaster. I only bought three plants, by mistake. I am sure I will remedy that next time I go to town.



My presprouted basil seeds are up and just adorable. Maple seeds want to find a spot to grow too. No way, Jose. All the plants in the deck planter are going great, since they got in before the heavy rains, I know they have a good root system already. All the eleven hydrangeas have flower buds...I am just waiting to see flowers soon.


The front bed Mountain Bluets are in bloom and the Preen seems to be controlling the weeds in that bed, so far. These hosta are the kind that get lighter green all season until the end when they are just a creamy yellow. I love those, but can't remember which variety they are.


The perennial salvia is blooming and next to it is the big peony, which may open today. I am relieved that the coneflower section is perking up after being transplanted from all over the yard. I have white, pink, orange and red varieties. I hope! This was the year for transplants, as I de-accessioned plants from the beds and brought in better choices. This section housed an overgrown Shasta Daisy last year, and it was a monster that had to go. I just hope the coneflowers 1. grow and 2. behave.


I couldn't resist these red pots, which have 4th of July colors in them. Blue lobelia, red superbells, and white petunias. I may have to sneak a few nasturtium seeds in there too. The one hanging pot easily has space for cascading nasturtiums. I'll poke those in today.


I like a little blue in the garden...


Super amazing blue hostas. Sigh...
OK. Time to get on the boots, the gloves, pop some Motrin and grab my walker.