Home and gardens

Sept 4 -- Last week I worked long and exhausting hours in the garden, making sure that I started preparing it for winter, so as not to have to do all that work that must be done out there when it is already too cold and dreary to worry about it. Thus, aside from all I did, I also dug out from the ground a few of the precious blue hostas that were being eaten up by bugs and put them on pots.  

I have found out that around here, hostas grow better in pots than on the ground, and keeping them on pots has to their advantage that they can be moved easily to their preference.  Sun or shade, or semi shade.  They also do well during winter, and will come out again in the spring time after time.

Now that the weather has mellowed down and the days have acquired that certain tint and awesomeness of pre-autumn, all the roses have been putting new shoots again; growing taller and healthier, and what a happy thing it is to see my Paradise rose growing stronger, and putting new plum shoots the color of sweet wine, as it becomes wider, and taller.  This special rose took a little bit to get established, but finally it is getting there.  Flowers still thriving in the pre-autumn garden have revived, and everything is looking beautiful and full and it is like a second spring.

Sep 6 -- The crab-apple trees are swollen up with their tart fruits and the grapevines are teeming with puffed-up grapes that soon will be swapping their green colors for the colors of wine and ripe plum...  

From our windows on the upper floors, far down onto the horizon I see the landscape shifting into the shades of pink cotton candy and sweet lemon lime in front of my eyes. The panorama, littered with tiny golden specks of light. The earth has started to spin into its magical cycle.  And we wistful creatures of the land would wait, and get ready to start cozying up our furrows and lairs, and build us a warm nest by candlelight.

Just the still melancholy that I love — that makes life and nature harmonize. 

Today, I wore my mustard color vintage boots, jean leggings and that new top resembling an autumnal garden in colors and design.  I felt young and happy, and totally out of season, because although nature is changing fast around here, temperatures are still in the 80’s, and it was hot and people are still wearing their shorts and sandals.

Sept 05—our new mattress finally arrived, but the box springs were too thick… so big they were, that only with a ladder we could had climbed into bed... So, I send them back and ordered new ones.  Now, we shall wait another 7 to 10 days to finally be able to have our new bed pleasantly completed. 

Sept 07—Yesterday, I cancelled the smaller boxes I ordered, and went and bought new ones from another store that did had them on stock.  I couldn’t wait another day, so alas, we went to pick them up today, and now our new bed is looking awesome!

What have you been doing lately?  Anything fun, special or pleasantly the same?  Do share!

See you around!

  

Angels

Sept 4—I finally dug out all that Phlox that was suffocating one of the Knockout roses on the east side of the garden, and what a freeing thing this was… for the roses, and for me too!  For I had wanted to do this for the longest time, but always lacked the courage to do so.  Until now. 

I have also pulled out all the irises on an adjacent bed, where another Knockout rose was being swallowed up by too many of them, including all the lemon balm that had spilled out of their bed, and taken over every available space outside and beyond their designated territory. How gallingly persistent this little herb is… How irritating.  I have almost eradicated them by now, but I shouldn’t be too confident thought, because these little critters keep reproducing faster than I can pull them out.

All those irises I removed from that one spot are now replanted in the little “Dry-creek garden” I created in memory of mom, and I have planted there too part of the Shasta daisy I dug out last months from its original place. 

At the beginning of spring this year I relocated some of my Phlox over to this area as well, but this is one of the shadiest spots in the garden, and although they have thrived throughout the summer, they hadn't put any flowers thus far... I’m hoping one more winter in the ground will do the trick to make them come out next year stronger and as aggressive as they tend to be in some other parts of the garden.

I want this special space covered in flowers—all kinds of them.  By the fence, behind the big angel, I planted a tiny branch of the Virginia creeper growing on the other part of the fence, earlier this summer, and it has survived. It’s tiny, but growing strong each day.  So alas, another little miracle to look forward to seeing develop into something marvelous next spring!  Oh, and have you noticed something else?  A very lovely cherub is guarding this area now too!

I waited for him for so long, that he’s almost like a brand new baby to me!… You see, I fell in love with him from the very moment I saw him, but decided to wait until the end of summer when everything goes on clearance.  

Every week I waited and waited and waited some more, then Walmart lowered their prices on all of their patio and garden stuff… not much, thought, and I knew that if I waited a little longer I would get a better deal yet, but… I was risking losing him.  Don't you just love that little face!

After we came home from our most scary Florida vacation with my husband feeling ill, I went back to Walmart to check on him, afraid that by now he was going to be gone… Until I found him!  He was standing all alone in a desolated corner, all garden fountains gone, all other statues gone! Only him waiting for me!  He didn't have a price tag on, but at this point all I wanted to do was bring him home with me!  And I did.  Because the garden attendant didn't show up when the manager called for a price check, she said, "$15".  "Do you still want him?"  Oh boy, was I elated!   

He's supper heavy, super big and super adorable, and I love love his praying pose so much!  Sometimes when I go by him I feel as if he's really looking up to heaven and smiling.  I would then do the same, look up to my Heavenly Father, and smile.

It is not known precisely where angels dwell — whether in the air, the void, or the planets. It has not been God's pleasure that we should be informed of their abode. ~Voltaire

Well, we may not know, but I least this one lives here now!

Bad Bear Campground and the gypsies

August 26—Bad Bear campground. The singing creek. Unstoppable waters rushing through rocks and river vegetation. That’s the jewel of this gypsy camp.

Weather had been changing, temperatures dropping down, the forest air was cooler and crispier, but at 3:30pm a wonderful, strong sun shone upon our gypsy camp, and thus we got our swimming suits, got our soaps and towels and down we went to the singing creek; down below our campsite, where bushes and thick vegetation had created a dreamy, private natural space. Chipmunk chirped and rock sang, as we laugh and hurried up to wash and splash. The water was so clear and bone cold and we felt so invigorated and clean. 

As the sun settled, and light dimmed and faded, we sat inside our cozy gypsy caravan reading and working on our computers; shrouded in delicious shadow and the mysteriously dark sound of the river outside. The coolness of the young night spooling around us and I found myself confident that our Heavenly Father will see us through; refreshed and surrounded in quiet, peaceful way. 

I guess this is how wildflowers must feel when the day finally breaks back upon itself and a riptide of night moves fast to the West and the bugs spread their wings and fly towards the last of the sun...

 

 

PS:  Thank you for suggesting I should use Chrome when working on my blog.  That did the trick!  No more unwanted codes!  I guess Explorer is not compatible with Blogger, or to my computer, and that was what I was using...  until now.  Thank you again friends!