Sally's Allotment
After refusing to bloom for what seems like an age, one of my daffodil bulbs bloomed this week and there are nine other buds waiting to join the front runner. Even better, the initial bloom decided to make an appearance on my grandmother's 101st birthday. Happy Birthday, Grandma!
I mentioned in a previous post that it seems strange not to have Vera lazing in the garden this year. However, we do have some other friends keeping us company, Jack, Mickey and their friend and neighbor, Bella:
Tom's school had a plant sale last weekend. We selected quite a few plants and herbs. Not to show off or anything, but my selections are in the ground and thriving. Chris' are still in the pots looking a bit sad. Maybe this post will motivate him to find his inner Titchmarsh and get planting.
Since putting in the drip watering system, I admit to having a harder time remembering to water my pots, however I enjoy browsing through magazines and websites to get inspired to create them. Just wish I could keep the creations alive. I have two purple/grey pots on the steps by the front door. In my mission to keep them in bloom for longer than a couple of weeks, I splurged on an extra watering can and tool holder for the front yard. Tom calls this our 'Dalek' watering can.
Here are a couple of items salvaged from the farm in Knott, Texas, just outside of Big Spring. The old milk pail was sitting on the back porch and looked like it could do with a bit of a spruce up. When I got it back to Cloverleaf, I decided to keep it in its original state and fill it with a kangaroo paw--a plant I had admired but couldn't think of a spot.
A photo from the garden right before we moved to America:
The biggest benefit to daylight savings time is the extra couple of hours in the evening that can be dedicated to wandering around the garden with a glass of wine pulling weeds and plotting the next adventure. Tonight, the light reminded me of my childhood garden in Wood Road. I've mentioned before how much I enjoy the social aspect of gardening on a corner lot in a friendly neighborhood and Wood Road was very similar. My friends lived next door and it was just a hop over a short fence to get into each other's gardens (careful not to trample on Hayden's shrubs). And being situated just up the road from the ex-servicemens' club and the local bowling green meant the sounds of team encouragement floated up the road into our garden. "Come on, Peter Walker" was a constant refrain that stays with me today....although I didn't know him, it was obvious that Mr. Walker was the star of the bowling green and he would saunter back and forth to the club with a jaunty walk and a constant smile on his face. Thanks for routing around in the attic and sending me some photos of our old garden, Katie and Dale!
This honeysuckle vine was tiny last year but looks as though it is going to go nuts this season. I hope it manages to fight off the overzealous morning glory that tends to grow wild along the same fence. Next weekend, my friend Aaron is coming over to help design a trellis. I'm hoping for something a bit different that will hold my interest during the winter when all the plants are cut back. I'll keep you posted.
Last year, Linda snuck this creepy little fella into one of my pots by the back door to serve as a reminder to water.
When the weeding gets boring and everything is looking a bit bland and brown, there's nothing like a quick reminder of what the side garden will look like in a few months time.