Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for garden

Thoughts on Wednesday

June 27, 2018 at 8:55 am by Claudia

Penstemon growing wild down by the road.

I worked on the new shade bed yesterday. I added some compost, planted the hostas I bought last week and transplanted the hosta and the heuchera that I had planted in the big garden bed earlier this spring. Because of the loss of some big maple limbs in various storms, it’s really not shady enough to support those two plants. So, they are now in the shade garden.

The ten milkweed plants that are right by the porch are blooming and the scent is heavenly. But something out there, whether it’s the milkweed or some other culprit, is making my allergies flare up. I sat on the porch this morning and I’m definitely feeling worse. Hmmm…

A freakish early morning glory. I plant both blue and purple morning glories and the purples always grow more quickly than the blues. I was surprised to see this little bloom this morning and it brought a smile to my face. Clearly, the bugs love the leaves.

You certainly don’t have to comment on this, but since this is a very difficult week for us, I will be sharing my thoughts on the closing of Margaritaville. Don always calls me as he’s walking away from the theater after having signed autographs outside the stage door. Last night, as we were talking, people kept stopping him to tell him how much they loved the show. I can hear the conversations in the background as Don tells me to ‘hold on’ while he chats with everyone. He loves people, he loves the show, he loves the character he plays, and most importantly, he loves bringing joy to the audience members. When I hear these conversations, I am reminded, once again, of what an enormous loss this is. For the cast and crew and creatives, for the audience members who come back again and again, and for my husband. I love him so much and my heart breaks for him. He, being the man he is, is trying to keep a positive attitude, but I know he is hurting.

We are well aware of the blessings that have come to us via this show and we acknowledge them all the time. Maybe something else will come along, maybe not. But it won’t be this show, this role. Don has been acting professionally for over 40 years and he has done every kind of role there is, from Shakespeare and Shaw to Frasier  to L.A. Law  to PBS American Experience  to Escape to Margaritaville. He has always felt that this role was a perfect fit. I’ve certainly never seen him happier with a role and I’ve been with him almost 24 (next week) years.

I’ve also never seen such a closely knit cast full of beautiful souls.

Sunday is going to be a very emotional day.

I think about it all the time and I can’t even type this without crying. It is what it is, I know that. But what it is, sucks.

Deep breath. Off to recycle and buy some more mulch. We may – fingers crossed – get some rain today.

Happy Wednesday.

Filed Under: Don, Escape to Margaritaville, flowers, garden 44 Comments

Rain, Digging & Reading

June 23, 2018 at 9:17 am by Claudia

A gray, sometimes rainy, day today. I’m thrilled. We desperately need rain and, although we’ve had a few gentle rainfalls since I’ve been sitting out on the porch this morning, I think we’re going to get some thunderstorms late in the day. Just as with peonies and catalpa blossoms, big storms seem to happen right as this is happening:

The hydrangeas are coming into full bloom. Heavy rain causes them to droop and there’s no way I can get all of them to stand up again, because I can’t reach in there! Hopefully, it won’t be too bad.

More flowers opening on the milkweed. I have so many of them this year. Milkweed flowers always remind me of millefiori paperweights. The glass flowers look very much like this.

I wasn’t called for Jury Duty on Monday (I’m pretty sure I’ll get called on Tuesday.) So I’m going into the city tomorrow morning instead of today. That way, I’ll get to spend Don’s birthday with him and also most of his day off on Monday.

I dug some more in the new garden bed. Besides nylons and socks (why??) I found these:

More pieces of the same china pattern and what looks like an old metal dog dish. One of those china pieces looks like part of the bottom of a teacup.

These daylilies are pretty spectacular: the color, the ruffled edge…beautiful.

And another rose bloomed the other day.

I’m just about to finish another novel! I finished the Lee Child last week and then I forced myself to start on one of John Connolly’s mysteries that I had in hardcover. I had tried to start it before, but I kept putting it down. That wasn’t due to the book – he’s one of my favorite writers – it was due to my being unable to concentrate. But one of the books I downloaded on my iPad was his newest, which just came out about a week ago, and I told myself I had to read this one first, as it was published last year and I think you need to read his books in chronological order. I’m looking forward to a rainy morning in which I can nestle into my chair in the den and enjoy and savor the last 100 pages of the book. It’s excellent.

Anyway, I’m so relieved to be reading again! I felt like part of me was missing during this dry period and I need  to read, just as I need food for sustenance.  Reading is now what it should be and what I desperately need it to be during these times, a welcome escape that settles my heartbeat, makes me breathe deeply, and takes me away from the awful state of things in this country.

Thank God for writers and books.

I’ll write a post for tomorrow and then I’ll probably take Monday off since I don’t want to haul my laptop in for such a quick visit. As for the rest of next week, we’ll see what happens with Jury Duty. They called numbers 1 – 75 for Monday and I’m number 134.

Happy Saturday.

Filed Under: books, Don, flowers, garden 29 Comments

Questions, Questions

June 22, 2018 at 8:34 am by Claudia

Yesterday, I started clearing out an area right below the kitchen window to make another garden bed. Yes, I know. I need the care of yet another bed like a hole in the head, but it’s an area that is always full of weeds and is right next to the entrance to the secret garden. It suddenly struck me that, instead of ignoring it, I could plant a shade garden there.

So I started pulling the weeds (there’s a lot of work ahead) and found the inevitable plastic bags buried beneath the ground, along with some nylons and some socks. Just how much trash is buried on our property?

I found part of a china plate. The gold design is raised. I have no idea how old it is and it’s in pretty good condition because it was inside the bag. No markings. Any idea about the pattern?

Don would like me to discover a bag of cash. Preferably a stack of $100 dollar bills  Somehow, given the humbleness of our abode, I don’t think that’s going to happen. But today I’ll start digging, so wish me luck!

The annabelle hydrangea is just about to turn white.

This plant grows on the far side of the house. It returns every year, and I’ve grown to like it. Is it a weed? I wonder, because it hasn’t spread and I don’t see it anywhere else on the property.

Those flowers will turn white soon.

It’s getting quite tall. Does anyone out there have any idea what this is? I’d sure love to know.

That being said, I’ve tried to be patient, but I’m starting to think my butterfly bush didn’t make it through the winter. I see a few leaves near the bottom, but I’m not sure whether they have anything to do with the actual bush. Do I yank it and buy another one? I would miss seeing all the butterflies who congregate there.

Questions, questions.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: china and pottery, flowers, garden 40 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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