Photo taken from the porch this morning. (It was cold, I was in my pajamas, so I shot it quickly.) An impressionistic view of the big garden bed which has been almost completely mulched. Just a bit more to add today or on the weekend.
I not only mulched this bed yesterday, I also took a break to buy more mulch. It was very windy yesterday, much windier than I thought, and it was just plain hard working outside. The wind and all the pollen flying around are not a good combination for yours truly. I’m trying to pace myself – but I’m not always good at it. Anyway, today is lovely so far – tonight and tomorrow will bring heavy rain so I’m going to try and accomplish a bit more today before I am forced to take a day off tomorrow.
At the nursery where I buy my mulch, I explored the plant selection. Nothing was inspiring me. I think I’m a bit overwhelmed at trying to fill in the gaps in the big garden bed. This garden has been 13 years in the making, and since I favor perennials, I have to remind myself that patience is key. I’ll add a few plants this year and few next year. Preferably self-seeders. My favorite self-seeders around here are coneflowers, which, since I planted them many years ago, have spread and spread some more. So: they might be my first additions. Besides, I love the look of them, they are so evocative of a cottage garden. And they stay in bloom for a long time.
This is the bed right next to the porch. You can see sedum, day lilies, hostas, coneflowers and some Star of Bethlehem. Eventually, the hostas will be so big and wide that they’ll cover those stepping stones.
We watched Random Harvest a couple of days ago. I’d only seen portions of it before. What a beautiful film! Based on a story by James Hilton, who wrote Lost Horizon, it stars Greer Garson and Ronald Colman. Their work is exquisite. I’ve long been a fan of Colman – I think he is one of the finest actors ever to grace the screen. And Garson is luminous. I could watch it again and again. If you’ve not seen it – I’m rather late to the game on this one – I urge you to watch it. Impeccably directed and acted.
I’m reading one of Donna Leon’s mysteries. I’m having a somewhat difficult time getting into it; I don’t think that has anything to do with the story, but more to do with my attention being diverted to the outdoors. I got a couple of her books from our local library. I also ordered a couple of Ian Rankins, which just came in. So now I am faced with the dilemma of trying to read all of these books in record time. This is what happens almost every time I check books out from the library. I run up against that darned deadline!
Happy Thursday.
Claudia, iusually have my garden mulched in early autumn. I mulch the pots myself but it’s too big a garden to mulch myself, so the landscapers who installed my garden do it. They do a great job of adding compost then mulch over everything.
Which Donna Leon are you reading? I’ve read every one of her books and I love them, but I agree that some of them took a double of chapters for me to get immersed. I just keep plugging away. Because I know her books so I know it gets better. My brother mentioned Ian Rankin to me on Monday. He has all the books so far, so he set he’ll lend me his entire set. I have a Louise Penny waiting for me at the library reserve section. I’m waiting a few days before I retrieve it, so I can finish The Thin Man. Often times, i also check out so many books I run up against not only the first due date, but the renewal due date also. I think the library wonders why I can’t finish a book in six weeks, buwith a pile of 8-10 books……! Enjoy your reading!
Our falling leaves serve as mulch and I leave many of my plants standing as food for wildlife during the winter months.
I’m reading Blood from a Stone, but I confess, I’m not feeling it and I read a large chunk of it this morning.
The garden is looking good. I know it’s hard to be patient when we want all the plants now. The roses are blooming and so pretty right now. They will stop blooming as much when it gets super hot here. Oh the south! Feeling a bit better physically but now I’m all grumpy and cranky. Not sure why. I need to get over myself I think! Ha!!
I sometimes get grumpy and cranky for no reason.
Actually, the state of things in DC is all you need to feel grumpy and cranky!
Random Harvest — biggest sigh. One of the best!
I’m trying to decide between the Donna Leon’s or the Martin Walker Bruno series set in Provence as my next long-series mystery endeavor. Right now I’m reading some of the British Library mysteries of the 1930s which are tremendous fun!
I’ve read some of them – they’re lovely!
I have been binging on Alex Cross books. Good reading but repetitious. But all I can handle right now. Wish everyone would send you pics of their gardens for you to make suggestions on. Might be a learning moment.
I don’t think I’m qualified to do that!
Hi,Claudia Love hearing about your gardening,as I no longer have the stamina to spend long hours in the garden. I do bits and pieces! I have just finished the latest Masie Dobbs and loved it. I have loved that character since the very first in the series. Ian Rankin is someone I’ve just started to read and I’m hooked. I am so fortunate to live in a city where the Friends of the Public Library operate a terrific used bookstore seven days a week. I volunteer one day a week and find treasures galore. And, as for Random Harvest,I loved it way back when so I must watch it again. xo
So lovely to find inexpensive used books. And no due date from the library!
Your big garden is looking quite green….I’m still waiting on mine. Saturday’s forecast is for snow…if you can believe that. I certainly can’t. I still have the beds on the north side of the house to uncover…and now, I’m hesitant to do that. Can my young hosta shoots and ferns survive several inches of snow?
I can’t seeem to concentrate on books at the moment. Too much to do both inside and out these days. Certainly keeps me out of mischief! Enjoy your day! ;)
Oh, Donnamae, this morning when I heard Charlie say 2-4 inches on Saturday I may have screamed a little bit. I was just outside with the dogs and it is warm and rather humid!! It is quite awful, isn’t it. We can only hope that they are once again INCORRECT in that forecast!
We’re not getting snow, but it is going to go down to 32 one night! What the ????
What the ??? indeed! They keep upping the snow totals…5-9? Calling it historic. If you hear loud screaming coming from the west…it’s Chris and me!! ;)
I would be screaming, too. I’m SO sorry!
I’m glad you mentioned Random Harvest! I have had it in my DVD pile for the longest time. Now it will go right to the top to watch sometime soon.
We are on our third Spring in this house and am enjoying the efforts from revamping the gardens the first Spring we moved in. I have to watch myself and not go crazy at the garden centres . I must learn to be patient and let the plants grow and fill in.
I too find I just don’t have the time to read at this time of year. I want to be outside!
Enjoy your day.
Patience is required with perennials, that’s for sure! Thanks, Robin.
One of the best bits of news we read recently is that our library is no longer charging over-due fines! You know, I never minded paying a fine, in fact I always added to it when I paid one, but it is that nagging feeling and then the guilt. We still have due dates, and I do respect those, most especially for the most current books everyone is waiting for, but nice when it is due tomorrow and I still have 5 or 6 chapters, that I don’t have to rush through it. Must be feelings I have cultivated since being a little girl oh-so-many years ago about the fines my mom reminded me about constantly!!
Have fun outside today. Try not to overdo, and be thankful that YOUR forecast isn’t for 2-4 inches of snow on Saturday, April 27th!!!!!! ugh.
Lucky you! Ours still charges, but it’s a small-town library and I’m happy to pay the fines.
Today is beautiful in Ontario. Like you, have been busy raking and mulching, still lots to do. Rain is forecast for tomorrow along with cooler temperatures but tried to do as
much as possible today. Had my Tax Lady visit earlier, Canadian Income Tax is due here by April 30th, a bit later than yours.
Believe it or not, I am looking forward to lying down in the dentist’s chair this evening.
My body is getting older unfortunately along with a big birthday coming up this Sunday.
Enjoy your reading tomorrow.
We’re getting rain today, too. Lots of it!
My back needs a break from all the outdoor work, so the rain is well-timed!
Thank you so much always for your wonderful posts. I was thinking you and your husband would enjoy Les Miserables on PBS on Sunday nights? It is so well done, so riveting. Also, I heard that Victor Hugo helped to save Notre Dame Cathedral! Isn’t that amazing, I can’t imagine they thought of tearing it down in the 1800’s!
I don’t know why, but we tend to avoid anything that is like a mini-series. I didn’t when I was younger, but it seems to be the case right now. We should definitely check it out, though.
I read that about Hugo, too. Amazing!
I’ll second Alice’s post if it’s the BBC version of Les Miserables which was shown here in January!
Thanks for the tip, I’m going to try mulching the border at the bottom of my garden this Spring to discourage weeds, especially dandelions which are the bane of my gardening life! At the moment my garden looks like it’s been sprayed with some weird green algae. It’s on the fence, stone patio, my little greenhouse and even the plastic storage bunker. It will take hours to scrub away! I think it’s caused by the weather we had last year. Normally conditions here are fairly damp but mostly cool but we had warm weather from late April until early August so whatever it is has thrived.
I like reading about gardening conditions from yourself and your readers, all the differences depending on where you live.
A couple of years ago my friend visited her son who was married to an American lady and she brought back packets of seeds from Chicago Botanical Gardens. We had a go with these attractive looking American plants but although they grew, they didn’t flower!
Have a good weekend
Thanks, Yes, Dee Dee, it is the BBC version. For those that haven’t seen it, you can start from the beginning by going to PBS dot org. There have been only 2 episodes so far, so it isn’t too late!
We have that, too. In our case, it’s more like moss. We had a very wet winter, so I think that’s what caused it. I have to get rid of it. It’s on stepping stones, which makes for a slippery surface.
I finished Les Miserables (finally) and was glad I did. The PBS series is even more enjoyable!
I wish we lived somewhat closer than a few thousand miles apart. I always have more than a few perennials each Spring that need new homes. Violets, iris, candytuft, sweet woodruff, gloriosa daisies, Shasta daisies., hollyhocks. I love to share!
Thank you for thinking of us, Roxie!
Glad to hear you are happier now that spring is more real. Seeing the sprouts and buds is a real pleasure of New England for me. Right now we have a plethora of wood violets, more than I’ve ever seen, even tho our trees are very late to bud, they are green-tipped now, too. Nature does the gardening around here and we enjoy what we get. I had to stop using the library because I was always late returning the books. They didn’t mind, I always paid the fees, but it bothered the heck out of me. LOL. This week I noted the anniversaries of the deaths of my mom and dad, 30 years apart but her’s on April 23 and his on the 24th. Tho their marriage was rocky and they eventually divorced, he never remarried and died the day after her death date. That carries so much significance for me. There is always bittersweetness to the last days of April because of these anniversaries. One sister doesn’t remember the dates but notices that she always gets the blues about this time. The other always knows and usually posts pictures of our parents. Your mom was a beautiful woman and I feel lucky to have known her a little thru your stories and photos. May memories of her bless you and Don.
Lots and lots of wood violets here, as well. They’re so pretty!
Thinking of you, Nora, as you remember your parents. xo