Autumn Jubilee (#AutumnJubilee2020) in the garden brings a few chores, more to ensure a beautiful spring than to spruce up for fall. It is a great time to dig up and divide crowded plants, put some new bulbs in the ground, and clean up the last of the summer vegetable plants. One warm day, I …
Category: Gardening
Late September in the Garden
Late September brings a few last flowers before the garden heads into sleep for the winter. The geraniums don't seem to know that it is fall, and continue to produce long-lasting pink flowers in abundance. They are such an intense hue, lovely color on the veranda. My purple dahlia has put up another flower stalk, …
September in the Garden
Late summer blooms can still be seen even with the garden winding down in the summer heat. This gorgeous dahlia bloomed recently, heralding the colors of fall right around the corner. I still have cherry tomatoes on the vine, taking their time to ripen in the sun. I planted an avocado seed and have a …
An Abundance of Tomatoes with Recipe Ideas
This has been the best year I have ever had for tomatoes, thanks to my friend Bonnie H who advised me on what I was doing wrong. Mostly it had to do with sunlight, and getting more of it to the plants. Anyway, this year has seen a bounty of tomatoes, so much so we …
August in the Garden
It is hard to believe it is August, this year is going by in a blur of days that mostly look the same. But there have been a few happenings here, and the flower show keeps going. Time for a long and picture heavy post!! Vibrant pink geraniums bloom profusely in just one pot. In …
July in the Garden
Languid and hot days alternate with rainy afternoons now that summer is in full swing here. July is our hottest month of the year and it has been days of above average temperatures for us. I do not like summer heat, especially when it is humid too, so it is indoor activities for me most …
June in the Garden
It is hard to wrap my head around the fact that it is the middle of June, although it is certainly getting hot enough. I am not a fan of summer heat, although I do like the cool mornings and evenings we usually have. June is the month the fireflies usually come out, and we …
A Tiny Surprise
For several years now, I have been bemoaning the lack of flowers on my ten-year-old orchid. A year ago, we went to the NC Arboretum's Orchid Show, and again I tried to figure out why mine wasn't cooperating. I repotted it, babied it, gave it lots of humidity, took every suggestion, and still nothing. Then, …
Late May in the Garden
Flowers in the garden have slowed down, with a couple of very late freezes in mid May turning all the azalea blooms brown. It has slowed the emergence of the rhododendrons and mountain laurel too. I missed going to the downtown Garden Jubilee festival this weekend, which was canceled and moved to individual garden centers. …
May in the Garden
Morning coffee on the veranda is a calm and serene beginning to the day. Bird song fills the air, and fresh mountain air brushes past in a gentle cool breeze. I breathe deeply, and enjoy the dappled sunlight through the forest, shinrinyoku. Again, I reflect on gratitude, and the concept of shoganai - a situation …
