Garden update, June 2013

I meant to get to the update this weekend but, well, I just didn't. But since I have a couple of free minutes now, I have a little blooming action to share.

Let's start with Wolverine the hydrangeas.

I'd find them terrifying if they weren't so spectacular. They are seemingly impervious to pruning.

Also in the front yard, I finally got the tomatoes planted.

There's a few beans in there, but they're not sprouting like I'd want, possibly due to the shade of the boysenberry vines behind them.

Also in the front yard, the roses are still going strong.

As are the sweet peas...

...which are mixed in with some rather fluffy-headed sunflowers, not your usual giants.

And the dahlias are starting to make their dramatic appearance, both in the front yard:

And especially in the back:

This one is known as "Kapow."

That bed is coming along nicely, with zinnias about ready to pop, and this lovely thing, which is called Minoan Lace.

I wish I could say the same for the side beds, which are just a sad mess this year. I really haven't done anything with them.

Over on the other bed, the gardenias and the marmalade bush seem to be...Harper! Get out of there!

So things are slow this year. But even so, the flowers we have allow for things like this:

Which make me quite happy.

Various & Sundry: Mostly heartstring-tugging, and some celebrity gnomes

How's your week been? For me, it was one of those weeks when I couldn't quite tell what day it was. It's Saturday, right? I know it's Saturday because I'm working on a sermon. Trinity Sunday, don't you know.

Yeah, I'm not planning to explain anything. Let's focus on tugging some heartstrings, shall we?

We'll start with Queen Helen Mirren who continues to be fabulous, this time by meeting with a 10-year-old boy with terminal cancer.

When royal officials informed his family that Queen Elizabeth II would not be able to fulfill his wish by meeting with him, actress Helen Mirren decided to reprise her famous role. The Academy Award winning star of the 2006 film The Queen invited Oliver and his family to a play (in which she also portrays the queen), then took them backstage for tea and a special knighting ceremony for young Oliver. Mirren stayed in character the entire time.

There's a reason Tom and Lorenzo call her Queen Helen of Fuckinfantastica. And it's not just the fashion. It's also the celebrity gnomes.

Yes, celebrity-designed gnomes. To the shock and horror of many, the Chelsea Garden Show is *gasp* allowing garden gnomes in the displays -- just this once, on its 100th anniversary.

“It’s good to confront the received wisdom that all gnomes are nasty,” Mr. Llewelyn-Bowen said. Referring to his wife, he added: “Also, Jackie has had to overcome her poshness and confront her gnomophobia.”

Dame Helen's and other celebrity-designed gnomes are now available to buy on eBay. Three guesses which one of these was designed by Sir Elton John.

Meanwhile, at least two hankies are required for this story about the Marine who is reunited with the dog he worked with in Afghanistan. It is lovely. And I have to blow my nose again after reading it.

I was surprised to learn this week of the death of Henri Dutilleux. Surprised because I had no idea he was still alive, or had been alive all this time (as one is until one dies, I know).

I have for many, many years attempted to play his Sonatine for flute and piano (well, just the flute part), with limited success. But I found a recording of it to give you an idea of what it would sound like if I ever were able to play it well. It's such a reflective and--what's the right word?--I don't know. It's a no-nonsense piece of music. I can hear the intelligence behind it. I think that's what I like about it.

Garden Report: May Update

The plants are doing their jobs, but I've been really slow off the mark this year. My tomato seedlings are a disaster! But some things are blooming up a storm, with little help from me, so here you go.

Let's start with what I think is my great triumph: I didn't kill the Mock Orange! (Philadelphus, if you're interested.) Here it is back in February:

Very sad. 

But here it is today:

Happy, happy Mock Orange!

Also in this bed, the Geum (with the red blossoms) did well over the winter, and I did plant a number of dahlia bulbs that are gearing up for summer:

The Passion Vine I tended over the winter did not, alas, survive. But we planted a new one a couple of weeks ago, and it seems happy as a clam.

I did also plant a marmalade bush (Streptosolen jamesonii) in one of the as-yet empty backyard beds, and put lots of metal around it in hopes that it won't get dug up, Harper. So far, so good.

It's supposed to get to 6 ft. X 6 ft. with lots of orange and yellow blossoms. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Finally in the backyard, I'm loving the Nigella, aka Love-in-a-Mist, which has taken over the beds under the bedroom window, but they really need something more substantial in there. I need to work on that.

Moving to the front yard, the sweet peas are off to a slow start, but they're blooming.

The rock rose is magnificent.

I love how those flowers peek through the fence.

For some reason (and I can take no credit), there are a bunch of wonderful pink and red snapdragons that decided to re-seed in the front yard. I think they look fantastic. I'm sorry that what you see here is mostly my shadow. You can kind of see Harper sniffing them. Don't step on the snapdragons, Harper!

Our best looking/most completed bed is probably this one, with the flowering tobacco in the back. The light makes it look a little scraggly. It looks better in person.

And last but not least...

The hydrangea that I shall now call Wolverine for its regenerating powers. It's incredible.

I hope things are blooming where you are. Happy May.

Rose arbor

Today I looked up and said to myself, "When did the rose arbor go all gorgeous on me?"

I am spoiled.

Wisteria Outbreak 2013

I don't know what happened, but the wisteria is particularly amazing this year. I even took video so you could hear the bees.

Isn't that incredible? Roses are going like gangbusters too.

Various & Sundry: There is no marijuana anywhere in this post. But there might be some Coke.

OK! Now that's we've gotten Holy Week and Easter (the first Sunday of) all prepped and posted, it's time to gather up the crumbs under my table. Or at least highlight some of the things I thought were interesting enough to pass along in the endless stream o' content that is Twitter.

For example, haven't you always wanted to watch an MRI of broccoli?

I think that's kind of magical.

It will just keep glowing up there as I move along to other things, such as this slightly related story (in that there are vegetables involved) of a pot bust that goes bust. Turns out that the suspects "had bought hydroponic equipment to grow a small number of tomatoes and squash plants in their basement." It also turns out the suspects had been in employ of the CIA, and did not take kindly to it when Kansas and Missouri law enforcement "armed with assault rifles and wearing bullet proof vests pounded on the door of their home around 7:30 a.m. last April 20." Sorry! Sorry everyone! I just get carried away!

Elsewhere in Missouri, my dad's alma mater, Missouri S&T, is competing in the 2013 Climate Leadership Award for Best in Campus Climate Leadership. Of course, my alma mater, Oberlin, is also competing. Where do my loyalties lie? Hmmmm...

I loved this rant by my favorite Social Media blogger, Mark Schaefer, wrote In praise of the Unremarkable, which has forever added to my lexicon the term rainbow bombs.

Looking for a new exercise program? Trying to avoid the zombie apocalypse? You might want to try a new fitness app called Zombies, Run! "The app casts users as survivors of a global zombie apocalypse. Download it onto your mobile phone, insert earbuds and prepare to be surrounded by a soundscape that transforms your favorite running route into a battle-scarred obstacle course dense with flesh-guzzling ghouls." And Margaret Atwood -- yes, that Margaret Atwood -- has a cameo voiceover.

Remember #Kony2012? Quick update: Uganda has suspended their efforts to look for Joseph Kony, due to the coup in the Central African Republic where it is believe Kony is hiding. However, the US is offering a $5M bounty for his capture as part of the War Crimes Reward Program. Did you know we have a War Crimes Reward Program? Well, now you know.

A very quick summary of the situation in CAR:

A coalition of rebels in the Central African Republic, known as Seleka, toppled President Francois Bozize last month. They swept into the capital, Bangui, in a lightning offensive that triggered days of looting and drew international condemnation.

Just to give you the bare bones of the story.

On the other hand, and on the positive side, I'm really intrigued by what the non-profit ColaLife is doing to transport medical supplies to inaccessible regions by leveraging CocaCola's distribution network.

The result of their efforts so far is the AidPod, a wedge-shaped container that fits between the necks of bottles in a Coca-Cola crate. For the pilot program, they are using the AidPods to distribute an anti-diarrhea kit, called “Kit Yamoyo” (“Kit of Life”). 

The AidPod’s are a clever packaging solution, born of a very particular design problem. Because the vision was to physically piggyback on Coke’s distribution system, they needed to work with the crates used to move the popular soda to retailers. Initial designs experimented with pouches on the side and tubes that could be slotted in place of a bottle. Neither option would have worked, as both would have meant less space for Coke. Then, genius struck. 

“My wife said, ‘Why don’t we make use of the unused space?’” says Berry.

Well, that makes sense! Here's a very short video on how that works.



Isn't that clever?

First garden update of 2013

Sorry to rub it in, but it's spring around these parts. Here's what's blooming in the front yard:

One branch of the Weeping Cherry tree

We have passed Peak Magnolia, but daffodils are in and tulips are on their way.

Not the best picture of what will be a very nice planter with Nicotiana behind.

I'm sorry to say I lost the tag on this one, but aren't these flowers cute and cheerful?

This is callibrachoa "Cherry Star," which is coming back nicely.

And in the backyard...

The pear tree is blooming in front of the rose arbor (also still blooming).

A couple of hearty Sparaxis survived Certain Digging Dogs.

And the Love-in-a-Mist self-seeded like crazy around the edges of the beds.

Much more to come. And lots of work to do. How does your garden grow?

Candy Cane Camellias

We had a beautiful weekend here last weekend and I dumped a whole lot of mulch on the beds, hoping to keep the dahlia bulbs warm enough so I don't have to dig them all out and store them under the house for the winter.

Everything's pretty much kaput now except the azaleas and these fabulous camellias. They make such a mess, dropping everywhere, but for right now at the start of the bloom, they are so wonderful and cheery with their peppermint stripes. So festive. I just wanted to share.

Garden Update, September 2012

Tomatoes!

Dahlias!

More dahlias!

Zinnias!

Ummm...a mess!

A zucchini! (Or perhaps a green, legless puppy)

A pepper!