May Queen

Can there possibly be a better way to celebrate all things flower & garden, and SPRING, than MAY 1st??  It is May Day!

A virtual bouquet to family and friends....  not hung on your doorknob - with a knock-knock to offer you sweet spring salutations... yet, with sunshine thoughts anyway ~

My garden has come alive! The veggies are beginning to shoot skyward. It has taken quite some time for them.. after first planting - some seeds, other starter plants - the Cali weather has been on a roller coaster ride and I do believe the plants stayed in hibernation for awhile, peeking out and then deciding to stay-put for a short time more.

You'll notice that many of my images are Instagram, or shot from my iPhone. Seems such a handy tool when I'm out gardening. It slips quite easily into the pocket of my apron!

I do have a "big-girl" camera.. and she WOWs me every time with the close-up shots I get of individual blossoms. It's just heavy, awkward and potentially dangerous ( to her ) while handling with clay dirt all across my hands!



The magnificent walnut that graces our backyard does not leaf out until late May. So she still looks like this ~

One of the veggies that was plenty happy with the fickle weather - actually preferring some cool, dampness - is the artichoke. We've already sampled some of our homegrown for dinner!  * a little side note: the artichoke capitol of the world is not far from where I live - Castroville,CA. The beachy area near Watsonville and Santa Cruz. Marilyn Monroe was once crowned the May Queen ARTICHOKE Queen!

one from my garden

I have loads of roses I tend...I adore... these grow over an arch intermingled with jasmine. The scent at this time of year as I wander through the gateway to the far back.. is breathtakingly sweet!

Still following me?... step along my gravel footpath... (this is a vintage sign from England - scored at an estate sale many years ago)

Purple lilac... whereas the first image I shared (above) was my white lilac - the white beauty new to me this year as a gift from a set of friends at Goat Hill Fair, to honor the passing of my Mom. Bittersweet but perfect memory as I garden!

I have so many images of my home and garden - my place of quiet content - my refuge...
This post is quite lengthy, so I hope any who follow are still reading ~




A couple of artsy images to shake things up!! hhhaaa

Veggies, again....

How can one resist swiss chard? My gawd the vibrancy...

Now - LETT UCE entertain you!! hha  A little piece of humor & light ... a vintage sink for a plant vessel ~

Yellow is a favorite of mine ~

... and in the front yard too ~

Lady Banks  ^ comes to visit each spring, knocks my socks off and then heads off to parts unknown until the following spring. Me thinks she needs to visit more frequently!! Don't you feel the same about these wonderous plants?




I am linking to a Garden Party and I hope that's where you've been to find my slice of abundant life... go read here { click - Fishtail Cottage }. I'm heading over there to go on some garden tours, myself... can never get too many ideas for the garden! Especially on May Day!

One Red Hen

The garden I tend at the back of our home is long, shade-filled and barely manageable. Full days can be spent outback and one would never know that work had been done. A happy pleasure of mine while toiling is to have the next door neighbor chickens cluster 'round my shovel to see what delicacy I may gift them. These girls are a delight - ruinous - but, a delight!

Years ago the first hen to breach her confines and master an obstacle course path over the fence to a ladder on my side was a statuesque, snow white clucker. Hubby named her Clarabelle. We decided to name the hens, since no one on the other side of the fence had. I always felt Clarabelle to be a daring, independent adventuress!! My, she solo-ed the rough terrain and decided our garden was the place to forage and dust-bath in the sun - that is worthy of an Amelia Earhart flying-wings pin!

News traveled over-top of the neighbor fence last night, as I gardened. Clarabelle and another hen {we called her Maria-Tomasa-Conchita-Alonso-Vergara} tussled with a nighttime stalker, and LOST! Tears welled in my eyes while I spoke over the fence to sweet Italian neighbor-next-door. This stalker that we're sure is a raccoon, had been to the coop on another occasion - but I always felt that Clarabelle was a strong fighter girl and with her hearty spirit would find her way out of the clutches of the bandit. I was wrong. And it took another with her.

 

 

our Biloxi
 

Our very own hen, Biloxi, went missing more than a year ago. Funny that chickens in your yard become family in your heart.

 

Penny - the One Red Hen

Maria-Conchita-Tomasa

3 hens all in a row...

One red hen - Penny - alone in her sanctuary spot (our garden) watched me last night, waiting for the worms I would dig. She was skittish - and rightly so! The sweet-Italian-lady neighbor says Penny isn't eating, and won't go back inside the coop. She darn well knows what happens in there, me thinks ! Penny left via the ladder, back to her home and stayed there amidst fig leaves that shelter the rooftop while the sun began to set. If she won't go inside -  that rascal raccoon will take my last garden pal.

A melancholy morn at the ol' home today.

How Does The Garden Grow?

With verdant twining leaves that spread at alarming rate - the pole bean seeds that barely hit soil a month ago - are producing long, narrow beans that the bird loves, as do we humans!

{the ever producing plums get in on the shot too}

A metal piece found long ago has been repurposed into a HUGE tomato cage {unsure of it's original use - someone once thought a pot-rack for the kitchen}

Moving to the floral department ~

Shasta Daisy heads fill an entire patch of garden space... tilting their faces to the sun.

Roses are still vibrant and abundant, yet I presume they are feeling somewhat wilty after that full week of scorching sun. Time for them to be fed again, so I might keep them happy through the fall!

Seems the summer-loving Hollyhock maintains her dignity and stands tall and stately through all kinds of weather ~

Happy mop-head Hydrangeas are blissfully blooming, but they too looked weary last week during the heatwave ~

Now, back to vegetable subjects again....

Not for lack of trying, but I've been unable to master the establishment of beets in our vegetable beds. Still I purchase them with fervor and we savor our salads with some goat cheese sprinkled atop ~

Getting a run for my money with shoots, tendrils, climbers and runners of all kinds. The wisteria runners climb to amazing heights and have a mind all their own. They are crazy-smart plants that can reach their way to anything brave enough to be within a 3 foot radius.

green beans climb their tee-pee

Many laborious hours ahead of me... with PLEASURE. Especially since much of the month of May, and June were spent away from home {what with that anniversay and such... wink-wink!}

Simplicity

Downtime

Seeking quite amidst brewing storms

Comfort

Pleasure

Simplicity


Today began with difficult emotional topics - ALL WILL BE WELL, though! In order to counteract the sadness and hardships, we'll balance with simple pleasures and joy...

Christmas is on the horizon.  What started months ago as bulbs stashed away in the back of the refrigerator, are now sprouts of green sitting face-to-face with the sun - in myriad of vessels - delighting me with their intention of becoming the gorgeous, fragrant blooms of Narcissus. I smile!

The Healing Powers of a Sunflower

The tiny potted sunflower, with a head much too large for it's torso smiled at me as I passed. "Take me home". Better yet, bring it to a friend to cheer them. I was on my way to take my sweet friend home from the hospital. This would make the perfect addition to her room at the top of the stairs - the one that has windows to spare - and sun that shines brightly to keep the sunflower happy. Also to keep her happy.

The two of us; this friend and I, banter back and forth about her non-gardening skills and my gardening efforts. A green thumb, she is not. Plastic topiary trees used to grace the front window box of her home. So, bringing this living thing to her was meant to say I LOVE YOU, not take care of the sunflower and keep it happy. Yet, the little sunflower with the huge head is still beaming! She's done it! My friend may not be able to will her body into conforming to health, but she's now achieved a green thumb.

When last we talked, my friend explained that the poor flower was looking stricken and sickly. It's leaves drooping and head lolling. It amazed her that with a little attention she was able to revive it.

Keep up those healing powers of yours, dear girl! If you believe and pray, and work at it.....
you too will one day soon be healthy and stand alone without assistance! I believe in your gardening skills!!  :-)

War Of The Roses

OUCH!!

Really, what is the purpose of thorns on rose stems?? Other than to wage war on poor unsuspecting gardeners. Well, maybe I'm not unsuspecting... I've been pruning for years. Too much history with said thorns to not be aware of probabilities. Early January, and it's time for their annual grooming. This winter is so abnormal that the bushes still have plenty of flowers.

Yellow and sunny.  All different types and names. Guess I have a fondness for golden rosa.


Clipped a handful or two to bring in the house...

I don't even mind the curled edges, and brown age spots ... less than perfect, but beauty just the same.

A bit of blush tinting the buds in this vase. ^ Not my best floral styling arrangement....

Gloves or not, the Rosy weaponry is mighty as a sword! Gotta go find me a band-aid....

Selling Grass

Titled completely for shock value! HAAA!


Really, I do have a friend that sells grass.

She doesn't smoke it though.

It is pot (ted).

As in containers of bright green blades.

It looks so pretty, so I thought I'd try to grow some.

Not to smoke.

It can be eaten. It is good for you.

I bought wheat grass seeds.

Wheat grass is good for kitties.

Wonder if it's good for birds?

It started out like this :



I use egg cartons - (also for sunflowers)



Now the grass is ready to harvest.

Not to smoke.

Just to sit in pots and look pretty.

THE END!

Playing Catch Up

Needing a vacation from my vacation. On second thought, not another vacation - more time in the day and more time at home to catch up on life around here. At this time of year work in the garden seems so crucial. Such strange weather though has aided me in my poor timing and inability to stay on task. I've hardly planted a veggie or herb... well, very few anyway. Without further ado, I've spent my waking hours since home,either walking, laundering, or gardening!

Removing 10+ year  fortnight lilies is not an easy task. My hands are sore; my thumbs barely able to work this keyboard. Still much on the to-do list! Some fun ideas that I'm hoping to accomplish in the coming months.

Our new, sweet addition has arrived! Our great nephew Charlie was brought into this world while we were away playing in LA. He has, in the last few days, brought many smiles and some happy tears too. That full head of inky-black hair is just wild! There's an impish turned up nose that'll just knock the girls dead when he's grown!

The other addition to the family is still nesting. Hasn't budged a smidgen. The flower hanging basket is blowing in the wind, and it's downright cold outside. I did, however witness a surprise. There was a changing of the dove-guard this evening. While cooking dinner I saw the mate to the sitter land in the basket too. Just as I wondered how they might possibly both fit, the #1 nester flew the coop. Guess they take turns?!

Good night for now. Have sleep to catch up on also!