Happy Day

Well, it seems as if summer is well on its way. We've had more hot sunny days already this spring than we had all of last summer. It's looking like we're going to have a good year for gardeners. My Mom likes to garden but she has a relatively small yard in a pretty populated neighborhood. She gets plenty of sun in the front yard where she keeps a couple beautiful perennial gardens; but it would be too unconventional for her taste to plant our vegetables in the front of the house by the road. Oh, how the neighbors would talk about us then!

So we have our vegetable garden in the back yard in the space she has allotted for us. She probably would have planted a small veggie garden whether we were here or not; but I believe that us being here lends some excitement to the task for her. So I'm hoping the year will be a good one, with plenty of sun and just enough rain. My Mom ordered some rather cheap siding for raised beds and Mikey assembled them in the back yard. For some reason, though, my Mom insists on them being in a location the doesn't really get full sun. Maybe it gets about three-quarters of a day of sun, but that's about it. And almost all veggies need a lot of full sun in order to produce fruit. So hopefully we'll have enough sun for all the stuff we planted.

There is a decent herb garden in one bed with all the typical herbs present: parsley, basil, oregano, dill, thyme, sage, chives, mint, rosemary, and savory. Among the herbs we've planted nasturtium which is supposed to help keeps the pests at bay. And in addition it has beautiful, bright orange and yellow blooms. The second bed is filled entirely with types of squash. Of course we have zucchini, summer squash, and cucumbers. But we also have lots of acorn squash. My mom must have figured we would need a lot of squash this fall. We didn't get any pumpkin plants, but I think we should. And we still have time as long as they are started already in a six pack. I like ti carve designs or names into green pumpkins and when they are grown the scar remains. The third new bed is filled with cold crops, like broccoli, cabbage, and kale on the upper level, and peppers on the lower half of the bed. We have some decent patches of rhubarb and a fledgling bed of asparagus. And we couldn't go without a small raised bed, constructed two years ago, filled with tomatoes. We have mostly cherry varieties but also a couple big beef types just in case. I'm sure our neighbors, however much they despise us, will gladly accept gifts of vegetables come mid-season and we have more than we can possibly eat. I'm sure we'll have plenty to jar after giving too.

One of the things I'm most anticipating is the growth of our morning glories. They have taken to dropping seed every year and we don't even have to bother with them and they come back fierce every spring. They are practically six inches high and twining amongst themselves already. They grow so lush that they almost cover the two sides of our screened-in deck. They twist up both sides and over the top of our front door, cream centers glowing in their deep purple halos. I hold a certain regard for plants which are both beautiful and dangerous. And morning glories fit that bill with their gorgeous flowers, heart-shaped foliage, and psychedelic seeds.

It will be interesting, as well, to see if all the work of dead-heading the supposedly ever-blooming lilac bush will pay off. Apparently, if you remove the small, browning flowers that appear at the end of the spring, this variety will produce another couple rounds of fresh, scented blooms. Here's to hoping.

I've always been into gardening myself, and so I don't mind helping out. Most of the time it's pretty enjoyable. But it's a lot of work and a lot of time. It takes a couple hours just to water the whole shebang. And we had to fill each new bed. I filled one, my mom filled one, and Mikey filled one. And we all planted a bit of each. But it takes constant care to keep them kept up and producing. We still haven't even come close to mulching all our existing beds for the summer. I believe mulch does a great job keeping moisture in. It's worth the effort alone in the amount of time and water it will eventually save. But it's a big job. And my Mom is away a lot, so it pretty much falls to me. My brothers are finally working, which is great. So they're gone on weekdays and sometimes Saturday. So I don't mind doing house jobs since I'm not working. But there are just so many. My classic complaint. I can't get a single post written without bitching about housework.

Anyhow, my Mom also rented a dumpster for "spring/all the crap since she moved here" cleaning. But we only get it for a certain amount of time. So she's been on me to get everything thrown away before it's too late. But most of this stuff isn't mine since I just moved here. So I don't really know what I should throw away. I want to have a huge yard sale too, before just throwing stuff away. But even with just throwing away stuff I know for sure is crap, I've half filled the thing. And it's enormous. Since my Mom couldn't care less about any of it, I'm hoping I'll be able to keep any money I make from the yard sale and save it towards buying my own car. Once I actually, finally, get my license straightened out that is. I've been tossing a ton of stuff from the basement. And that's been making it better to stay down there. It's opening up the space and I feel like I can breathe. Getting rid of all the crap will cut down on the cost and the labor of having it remodeled. I'm trying to talk my Mom into having the basement re-done before the fall. It would be pretty nice if it were just me down there and it was just re-finished.

Well, writing of all this work that needs to be done is making me feel guilty about just sitting around blogging. The day is more than half over and I've been taking it pretty easy since I woke up. I had to drive to the clinic first thing, of course. But even that hasn't been so annoying ever since I found out about the clinic that is much closer and discovered I may be able to go there instead. It would cut down on my travel time significantly.

I hope all is well with everyone. Have a great Memorial Day. That is the holiday we're celebrating, correct? I can be a little spacy sometimes. Until next time......

Botanic Inspiration

If you want to check out the website of today's inspiration:

http://www.hartley-botanic.co.uk/

Today's pictorial inspiration: Greenhouses. But not just any greenhouses, Hartley Greenhouses. They are officially approved by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, so they must be the best. As if I actually know what the RBGK is and what their standards are. I imagine, however, that they are quite high. Queen of the Greenhouse. They are absolutely gorgeous! And it is my goal to one day have one, albeit a small one is likey all I will ever be able to afford. I would love to be able to maintain a lush indoor garden during the winter months. It's so invigorating to be able to stand behind the glass in a tropical room while watching the snow fall. It really blasts the winter blues, it would be fabulous for anyone with seasonal affective disorder. I don't really get winter blues, but I still can see myself benefitting from having a winter greenhouse. Think of all the herbs you could grow to cook with all winter. Fresh basil in January would be divine. Even tomatoes, and flowers; think of all the possibilities.

I don't think I'll ever be able to afford anything as luxurious as these, but here's to dreaming!

I love the look of real glass with a brick foundation. Of course, the more typical plexi-glass houses are perfectly functional and I will probably have to settle for one of those, if I'm lucky. But the real glass just makes them look sturdy yet still regal in a way. There is something magical about greenhouses, about anything, really, that has the power to create something that doesn't seem possible. A greenhouse does something to plants that doesn't happen naturally, plants aren't supposed to be that green and lush in winter; in summer they also create an artificial environment that seems somewhat unnatural. The environment within can be regulated to such a degree that the plants are living in their ideal climate, all the time. It's as close to perfection as you can get in the plant world. It creates a surreal experience.

For someone who has spent a large portion of my life experimenting with ways to avoid and/or alter reality, a greenhouse like this would fulfill a certain purpose. I feel calmed by plants and lush, green environments. An escape, right in my own backyard, a place that would serve to transport me to a quiet, peaceful, magical world would be a dream come true.

More true to my goofy side, I have this other, older greenhouse dream. I've always been obsessed with Volkswagon busses. I've always wanted to get a really old VW model, like from the late fifties, early sixties, the ones with the split front window and all the little windows on the sides. So the top is already mostly glass. Then I want to cut out the roof and put in glass and use it as a greenhouse. I know that would not appeal to everyone, but imagine it at the end of a fieldstone path surrounded by by beautifully maintained gardens, So it would merely be quirky, not junky. You would have to fully restore the exterior, so there was no rust. And give it a nice paint job, have the work expertly done. And it could be super cool. Or use it as a garden tool shed. I will do it someday. I swear on it.

Gushy Gardening Goo

Well, well, well....It is finally spring. We recently moved again, as some may know. And although the decision was made quickly regarding our new residence, I think there are more good things about it than bad. Perhaps we could have benefited had we the patience to hold out for a place with no neighbors. Principally because of the dogs but also our interest in gardening.
There was one small plot in our new yard which had been set aside for a garden. I thought we had asked the landlord about it already and made it clear we would like to use it, but now our neighbors are using it and they don't even want to share. Well, ha ha to them, because I'm going to plant a better garden on my deck in buckets. I don't care if that sentiment proves how immature I am. I've already started a bunch of different Morning Glory seeds in pots so we can have them climb up the railing, I've got the classic periwinkle blue, a deep, dark, velvety purple, and a fuscia. But it doesn't end there; oh, no, we even have the white Moon Flower type that bloom in the moonlight. When I have my own house (some day in a time far, far away when my credit doesn't suck and I have a down payment to speak of) I am going to have a Moon Garden, all planted with white flowering, or silver-leaved plants so that it glows in the moonlight. I've seen pictures of them and they're so beautiful. But back to my current little porch garden. Hopefully my Sweet Peas will take and they can intertwine with the Morning Glory as they climb the railing.
We have some peppers and herbs already and a blue glazed pot full of salad greens almost ready to eat. The most expensive thing about this garden plan so far is the pots to put everything in, nice pots are not cheap. And you need quite large pots for veggies like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. I have also stashed away some summer bulbs, like my favorite Gladiolas, Lily of the Valley, and Freesia. Those can be planted at the base of the deck if I turn up a little bit of the grass. It's a bit late but they'll still be ready around August for cutting for bouquets. There's nothing like a huge, thick, bunch of multi-colored neon Gladiolas towering over a plain glass vase in the summer. And of course I have packets of Zinnias because not many annuals can beat them for hardiness, ease, and color for a quick cut flower. And they are so bright and cheery.
And that is just the beginning, we haven't even gone shopping for the bulk of our veggies yet. I used to work at a place called Walker Farm in Dummerston, Vermont. It's an organic, family-owned fruit, flower, and veggie farm and that's where I want to buy most of our plants. When I worked there we were allowed to take piles of discarded plants out of the 'to be composted' pile. If they were yellowing or overgrown, they weren't up to par for sale so they were composted. It was all you could want of lettuce, tomatoes, and pansies. Back to my enchanted, prize-worthy, porch garden.
I've been collecting rocks and crystals and shells since I can remember, as has Mike. I once met these girls in Evergreen, Washington who had so many crystals in their house that they lined the walls in small piles. It resembled a cave of buried treasure, all sparkling and multi-toned gems. Apparently one of the girls was an aspiring geologist and had been collecting rocks on a colossal scale since kindergarten. Ever since then I have wanted piles of crystals for myself. And although I have nowhere close to what they had, my collection isn't too shabby. And so I've lined them all along the edge of the railing out on the deck so they can shine in the sun, well, I mostly put the non-precious, colorless ones outside. But it's still really pretty with a bunch of shells and huge chunks of gray rock dotted with quartz chunks. Crystals get bleached of their color by the sun if they sit exposed for too long.
I keep trying to persuade Mike to let me get a little table and a bench or something so we can sit and read out there, or even eat meals looking out over the 30 acre field below us. We may even be able to forget that the railing is about to fall over and the floor of the deck is made of three uneven slabs of concrete. I'll take pictures of my garden project development, that way the whole small, small world of interested bloggers can witness my dream rise to fruition.