Hoping for rain; I can hear the nine pins but just a sprinkle so far. Would love to have a downpour.
Daisies are everywhere, and the sweet peas are covering the brush by
the bog. The iris are about finished for this year; I have a couple
that haven't bloomed yet, but looks as if they will. Hope so.
Lilies will be the next major player. None yet.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Walking Iten's Acres: The Ides of May May 18, 2012
The Ides of May
The Ides of May have passed. Safe. Safe at last. The one thing--the only thing--the weather geniuses have gotten right every year since I made Iten Acres my home is the frost date. No more frost after May 15th (at least until late fall anyway). What does that mean for the labor force at the Acres? No more covering things at night for one thing. But more importantly in the beauty department--I can now plant annuals. All my poor pots that have been sitting waiting to play their role in the loveliness of the grounds now get their chance. I think I may have about fifty of them--all different sizes and even a few different colors. Now, they are decorated.
Being naturally paranoid, I usually wait until about the 20th to go flower shopping. My favorite place is Baker's Acres, but I have not been able to go there since Mom arrived. They're just too far away. I couldn't leave her alone for as long as it would take to go there, shop, and come home--at least five hours round trip with the meandering through their flowers. They have more variety by far than anyone else around here. Ahhh well, perhaps another spring unless Mom outlives me. You never know. Anyway, second choice is Oakland Park Nursery in Delaware. It takes a couple of hours to go there even, shop, and return.
First priority is the "container garden" outside Mom's window on the patio where she loves to spend her mornings. Her favorites are marigolds, geraniums, lantana, and petunias. She already had several glorious containers of dianthus and pinks that had survived the warm winter--red, white, and pink everywhere. I also had already planted some pansies for her and a knockout red rose. Now, she has the entire "painting." Naturally, I added a few of my favorites: snapdragons, verbena, dahlias, begonia. In a couple of weeks, it will be gorgeous. Not that Mom isn't easy to please. She even thinks dandelions are beautiful. If only we all could see beauty everywhere we look--even at the weeds of life. I also planted a couple of "surprises" in her garden--calla lilies. I like surprises. I can't wait until they come up! (But I guess I'll have to.)
I also have "gardens" on the back patio, by the canopy, by the bird bath in The Conifer Bed. And I have pots scattered everywhere--by the pond, by the "doghouse," by the treeline, and, would you believe it, in the trees, in the meadow, and even in the wild area. "You can't have too much beauty" is the motto of Iten's Acres. Well, one of them anyway.
The nice thing about annuals is that once you plant them they bloom the rest of the spring, summer, and fall. They have no season like the perennials that have a "time" for blooming and then stop. And they keep getting larger and larger as the year goes on; more and more lovely. And many of them are propagators. They seed themselves and come back next year all on their own. (That's one of the reasons I don't mulch much. I'll endure some weedy gardens for more flowers.) I don't even have to plant cosmos, morning glories, or larkspur anymore if I can help it. (I can't always help it.) They have become annual perennials.
"Solomon in all his glory is not arrayed like one of these."
Aren't you glad you worship a God who loves the beautiful?
The Ides of May have passed. Safe. Safe at last. The one thing--the only thing--the weather geniuses have gotten right every year since I made Iten Acres my home is the frost date. No more frost after May 15th (at least until late fall anyway). What does that mean for the labor force at the Acres? No more covering things at night for one thing. But more importantly in the beauty department--I can now plant annuals. All my poor pots that have been sitting waiting to play their role in the loveliness of the grounds now get their chance. I think I may have about fifty of them--all different sizes and even a few different colors. Now, they are decorated.
Being naturally paranoid, I usually wait until about the 20th to go flower shopping. My favorite place is Baker's Acres, but I have not been able to go there since Mom arrived. They're just too far away. I couldn't leave her alone for as long as it would take to go there, shop, and come home--at least five hours round trip with the meandering through their flowers. They have more variety by far than anyone else around here. Ahhh well, perhaps another spring unless Mom outlives me. You never know. Anyway, second choice is Oakland Park Nursery in Delaware. It takes a couple of hours to go there even, shop, and return.
First priority is the "container garden" outside Mom's window on the patio where she loves to spend her mornings. Her favorites are marigolds, geraniums, lantana, and petunias. She already had several glorious containers of dianthus and pinks that had survived the warm winter--red, white, and pink everywhere. I also had already planted some pansies for her and a knockout red rose. Now, she has the entire "painting." Naturally, I added a few of my favorites: snapdragons, verbena, dahlias, begonia. In a couple of weeks, it will be gorgeous. Not that Mom isn't easy to please. She even thinks dandelions are beautiful. If only we all could see beauty everywhere we look--even at the weeds of life. I also planted a couple of "surprises" in her garden--calla lilies. I like surprises. I can't wait until they come up! (But I guess I'll have to.)
I also have "gardens" on the back patio, by the canopy, by the bird bath in The Conifer Bed. And I have pots scattered everywhere--by the pond, by the "doghouse," by the treeline, and, would you believe it, in the trees, in the meadow, and even in the wild area. "You can't have too much beauty" is the motto of Iten's Acres. Well, one of them anyway.
The nice thing about annuals is that once you plant them they bloom the rest of the spring, summer, and fall. They have no season like the perennials that have a "time" for blooming and then stop. And they keep getting larger and larger as the year goes on; more and more lovely. And many of them are propagators. They seed themselves and come back next year all on their own. (That's one of the reasons I don't mulch much. I'll endure some weedy gardens for more flowers.) I don't even have to plant cosmos, morning glories, or larkspur anymore if I can help it. (I can't always help it.) They have become annual perennials.
"Solomon in all his glory is not arrayed like one of these."
Aren't you glad you worship a God who loves the beautiful?
Backroads of Morrow County: When I Grow Up May 14, 2012
The
canopy over the single lane bridges is full and the shade of the place
makes it cool there even on the hottest summer days. The stream is
always flowing; after a good rain it's a torrent. Only a couple of
fields are still in stubble yet; most of them have been plowed and
planted. In fact, it looks as if the corn and soy beans have already
started their climb toward the heavens.
The wheat is growing like mad. I haven't seen the doe and her latest
fawn yet. I usually see her at least every other week in the spring and
summer. The hawks are hunting from the phone lines. What did they do
before we built them such great hunting seats? Mourning doves seem to
love dusty roads and the weedy margins between the road and the fields.
Most of the farms have iris. Occasionally I covet a color that I don't
have. (Okay, more than occasionally.) There's a sign on these back
roads: "Share the Road" it commands. If I ever meet someone, I promise
that I will. Maybe it means I should share it with the wildlife? I
always do that--even the groundhogs and rabbits. As always the great
thing about back-road meanderings is that if I want to I can just stop
and observe. I think that when I grow up I want to be a rural mailman.
Today at Iten's Acres: Mother's Day May 13, 2012
Mother's Day was celebrated with the traditional duck dinner. And a
bouquet of iris, of course. Chloe and Jan called. She spent awhile
outside on the front patio--her favorite place. My youngest son called
to wish me a "happy MoDad day."
Bird sightings: oriole and yellow warbler--a colorful day.
More and more iris blooming every day--see "photo shoot" on Wednesday. It's actually been a down year for the queen of flowers, but there are still plenty of beauties to enjoy at the Acres.
Bird sightings: oriole and yellow warbler--a colorful day.
More and more iris blooming every day--see "photo shoot" on Wednesday. It's actually been a down year for the queen of flowers, but there are still plenty of beauties to enjoy at the Acres.
Today at Iten's Acres: Being Patient May 10, 2012
Mom's
container garden outside of her window seat is starting to mature: red
and white dianthus, pansies, pinks, a rose. More to come since it's
almost the 15th. Time to buy the annuals.
Fed the swallows--just one pair and they came and went; didn't hang out for the whole time. But there was a pair! More blue velvet flyers to come!
Firsts this week: lavender mountain lily, spiderwort, more and more iris--lots of variety but not many blooms among the iris. maybe the rest of May will bring more. I'll try being patient.
Fed the swallows--just one pair and they came and went; didn't hang out for the whole time. But there was a pair! More blue velvet flyers to come!
Firsts this week: lavender mountain lily, spiderwort, more and more iris--lots of variety but not many blooms among the iris. maybe the rest of May will bring more. I'll try being patient.
Walking Iten's Acres: Starting May 3, 2012
First: star of David
Iris are starting: a beautiful small purple; two pale yellows; a gigantic pure white (thanks Chloe); two of the "common" white with a tinge of yellow on the flag. (Want some of those? Let me know I've got zillions.)
Rose-breasted grosbeak--think robin size ruby-throated hummingbird.
My guard robin is still keeping an eye on me. Guess the worms are vicious this year.
Walking Iten's Acres: Anxious May 2, 2013
Anxiously watching the iris searching for more buds. Will the strange weather of 2012 (March in February; June in March; February in April) affect my irises? Anxiously checking my iris walk by walk.
Bluebells, coral bells, allium, mountain bells all flourishing. And the thrift in the rock garden is still thriving.
Camassia started blooming yesterday just about everywhere they're planted.
Buttercups are the star wildflower of the moment.
Put up the hummingbird feeder on Mom's window. A gorgeous ruby-throat has already begun partaking. Guess he's hungry from the trip up North.
Got my eye fixed on the 15th; planters are reading for some annuals.
May has arrived: anxiously watching the iris searching for more buds.
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