flowers — Page 153

Lilacs, Quince and a Bunny

May 10, 2018 at 9:21 am by Claudia

Not quite fully open, and fewer blooms than last year, but I’ll take it. I was walking down the driveway to the mailbox and I caught a whiff of that heavenly scent. Nothing better.

It’s another lovely day; that is, until this afternoon, when we’re to get thunderstorms. I did a lot of work outside yesterday. I sowed the seeds for the morning glories and moonflowers. Today I’ll sow the zinnias. I added more top soil to a few of the garden beds. I weeded the big garden bed so I could mulch. And then I mulched. All this and a trip to the nursery to get the mulch and a flat of impatiens and some plants for the area behind the kitchen. I’ve never really done anything with it, but I’m going to slowly change that. It could be a lot prettier than it is.

My back is complaining this morning as are my allergies. But…that’s spring for you.

Though the lilac has less flowers than usual, the flowering quince is outdoing itself (they’re in the same area of the lawn.) Orange flowers everywhere!

Just when I was thinking I hadn’t seen a bunny in quite a while, I saw this guy just outside the kitchen door.

I love the way the light shines through his ears. The same thing happened with Scout. I never tired of seeing it.

Okay. Have to get a move on. I’m definitely on the clock today as I only have the morning to work outside.

Happy Thursday.

The Community Garden

May 9, 2018 at 9:37 am by Claudia

Hello, all. I had the best time in the city with my husband. It was only 24 hours, but we packed a lot in. Lunch, shoe shopping – we both needed better, more supportive shoes and I knew that Harry’s, up on Broadway around 83rd, is the best place to find them. Then we walked over to Central Park and sat there people watching. It was such a lovely day and there were so many people out there enjoying the sunshine.

Then back home for a bit and then to my now-favorite place. The Community Garden. If you remember, I mentioned that Don had signed up to get a key to the garden. It’s only accessible to the residents of two streets; 47th and 48th. I suppose that means between 9th and 10th, but I’m not sure about that.

Anyway, it’s pure heaven.

You unlock the gate and, suddenly, you are somewhere else in the midst of the noise and traffic in Midtown. It’s simply beautiful. This used to be an empty lot in the seventies, full of drug users and drug paraphernalia. It was transformed by volunteers and is nurtured by local residents who garden there, some of whom have individual plots or allotments within the garden.

Behind that gate are the individual plots maintained by local residents. I imagine there’s a waiting list to get a plot. I so wanted to get behind that fence, but you have to be accompanied by one of the plotholders, so I had to be content to peek through the fence.

The plots are very creative, some of them decorated by the individual gardener, some more utilitarian. I will get back there. I will.

While we were there on Monday and on Tuesday, several gardeners came and worked on their plots.

Back to the main garden.

Bee boxes.

We sat there, late in the day on Monday, for over an hour. It’s so extraordinarily peaceful. We watched little sparrows take dirt baths, which was fascinating. There are two videos up on my Instagram feed that you might like; the sparrows and a view of the garden from yesterday morning. Yes, we made sure to go back one more time before I had to leave.

Don only found out about the garden because he stopped to talk to a man who was planting flowers on a nearby playground. That led to a talk about gardening and the Community Garden and the man told him that during the upcoming weekend, volunteers would be giving keys to local residents. So Don got a letter from his company manager stating that he was a resident and he got a key. He knew he would love it and, bless him, he was pretty darned sure I would love it so much that it would make me like being in the city this spring and summer. He was right.

I took a lot of photos and I’ll take more someday soon with my big girl camera (these were on my phone.) I also really observed and have taken away several ideas for my gardens.

I can’t say enough about the garden. Living life in NYC is hectic and noisy and for residents to have the opportunity for respite, peace, and to dig and plant and nurture is a little miracle.

Happy Wednesday.

The Woods, Planters & Hidden Daffodils.

May 7, 2018 at 8:00 am by Claudia

New additions to the porch. I was inspired by a post by Liz Marie Galvan (who decorates in all white and wood tones, a look very different than my own and one I’m normally not drawn to, but she does it beautifully. She’s also a Michigander, so what’s not to love?

Anyway, she was doing a post for Tractor Supply, of all places, and the white planter/tub and finial are part of a collection by Trisha Yearwood. Liz showed them on her porch steps and she plopped a fern in her planter and I liked it. So off I went to two Tractor Supply stores before I found the two pieces. (I also found a cute top to wear there, also. Go figure.) And I got the fern from my local nursery yesterday morning.

I’m choosing to think of the logo on the planter/tub as a pig that lives on a rescue farm, not one that is slaughtered for food. I like pigs a whole lot. They’re very intelligent and they have feelings and you know the rest. I don’t eat anything with a face.

Back to the look – I like it. It suits the former kitchen island that is now the holder of potting supplies and a pretty addition to the porch.

It rained on Sunday, so I was forced to take it easy. I walked around the property and into our little wooded area. There are several trees down. I suspect most of them fell during that awful snow/ice storm that took down the huge limb from the catalpa. I could hear cracking sounds everywhere that night, which was basically a nightmare.

Daffodils hidden in the woods, from a time when things were less overgrown around here. You have to know where to find them.

Don and I placed this old street sign from the corner we lived on in San Diego here among the catalpas several years ago. Last year Don replaced our mailbox and pole. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I saw that he had put the old one on display. That scamp! I laughed out loud.

I’m off to NYC this morning for a 24 hour visit. Then I’ll be home again to do all the things that need doing and then…hopefully…I’ll be done with the big stuff.

I’m going to take tomorrow off, simply because I don’t want to have to take my laptop along for such a short trip. I’ll be back on Wednesday.

Happy Monday.

Lilacs, Quince and a Bunny

The Community Garden

The Woods, Planters & Hidden Daffodils.

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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