It's been an interesting week. The weekend was well spent working in the greenhouse, mowing the lawn, and planting a few thousand bulbs. (Only 50 'Fire of Love' tulips, grown more for their foliage than their flower, to plant!) On Monday I was feeling a bit run down and fell asleep while reading a story to my kids and again during a meeting after school. On Tuesday, I went to the doctor to find that I had strep throat and an ear infection, got some antibiotics, and took a couple of days off work to rest. I feel much better but haven't been our and about much so today, I'm posting some pictures I took just after I got home on Thursday as it was getting dark.
The Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus' in the front parking strip is looking lovely in bloom!
A second clump is a nice contrast to Melianthus major 'Antonow's Blue'
The yellow autumn leaves of Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon' are glowing.
Grevillea victoriae, is starting it's winter bloom cycle.
There are lots of spots like this in the parking strips where 500 Crocus tommasinianus are nestled in the soil for an early spring treat. This type of crocus corm is supposed to be less attractive to squirrels. It's always interesting to see where the squirrels replant things!
The buds of Fatsia japonica, so similar to those of Hedera helix (English Ivy,) both members of the araliaceae family.
Phytolacca americana berries looking quite showy. The birds will enjoy these later in the year!
Another Acer palmatum putting on it's autumn finery.
The fish are not amused by all of the leaves blowing into their pond! By the way, the experts who warn against locating a pond beneath trees are correct.
Wishing everyone a great weekend!
Oh, the Poke Berries! Such beauty and such a mess when mockingbirds get hold of them.
ReplyDeleteOn the way to the city yesterday, I mentioned to He-who-mows that one of my imaginary friends converted a garage to a greenhouse. He was properly impressed. Then I told him about my concern about heat escaping through and around the metal garage door and he agreed after determining that I had seen pics and knew for certain that the door is not insulated. The conversation moved on before we solved a possible problem. Have you given this area some thought?
You would think that I would concern myself more with the many tasks to be done here and less about somebody else's project but I am fascinated with that greenhouse.
Although that purple color that stains the sidewalk is kind of interesting for a while...
DeleteI love that you call your blog pals imaginary friends - too funny. It's eerie you should mention this as I was thinking about the same thing the other day. A couple of things that popped into my mind were some cool heavy fabric shower curtains that have separate plastic curtains behind them that are sitting in a cupboard upstairs. Also have some heavy fabric that was wrong for its intended purpose but would make a nice curtain to cover the metal door. I was wondering if the addition of floor to ceiling curtains might help insulate it. There are rolls of never-used fiberglass insulation in the attic that we inherited with the house that could be put up but it would make opening and closing the door much more difficult. I'm so glad that you keep giving me hints and tips about the garage/greenhouse as I'm sometimes a bit clueless!
My thinking is that two layers of fabric like heavy shower curtains will trap air and hinder the movement of air in and out through the gaps in the garage door and transfer of heat via the door itself. You can't stop every bit of heat loss but you can impede it.
Delete"Imaginary friends' is what He Who Mows called my online friends back in Bulletin Board days when everything was just text and pictures were made by typing characters like @---->---- for a rose. Imagine his surprise when Cookie from Indiana and Jim from New Zealand send me their wedding picture by email and they were real people.
This autumn seems to be a bit easier to take now that you can play in your greenhouse all winter. Lover the miscanthus and that acer is just so gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember a teacher falling asleep in class....that would be quite a switch. Take it easy over the weekend and get well quickly.
It's kind of odd, the greenhouse still seems foreign to me - a place to work and store plants but not a place to just be and relax.
DeleteThere were five other adults in the room at the time and I only nodded off for a second in the middle of a sentence but it was funny. I feel much better already!
Hope you're feeling better ,Peter ! That many bulbs; and I thought my 200 was a lot .
ReplyDeleteI feel a lot better now, thanks! With the tiny bulbs, a lot of them fit in a smallish area so it sounds more impressive than it is.
DeleteGlad to hear you took a break once you found out you were sick. It's not good to try to just keep powering through. You deserve a rest. There are so many plants in your garden that look lovely. My Fatsia has flower buds too.
ReplyDeleteI'd no idea that I was really sick, just felt tired and overwhelmed all the time. Much better now! Those things that bloom or are green from late fall through spring are very special indeed!
DeleteAw...dang! I'm sorry you've been under the weather. And (on a another topic), I hope you'll show us lots of pictures of your bulb bonanza in Spring! I can't believe how many bulbs you planted!
ReplyDeleteMuch better now, thanks! I love spring bulbs but only plant them every few years and do a lot. Maybe I'll change that and just plant a few each year from now on.
DeleteTake care, Peter. Relax with some homeopathic tea and look at the garden from the inside for a change. It is looking great. I'm also waiting waiting for the "bulb bonanza" - what a great phrase.
ReplyDeleteThat is a fun phrase and I'm looking forward to seeing it too as they were planted with no rhyme or reason, just filling in spaces that are vacant in the spring.
DeleteTake it easy this weekend, Peter! I hope you're back to your exuberant self soon!
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed at how fast the antibiotic has worked as I'm feeling a lot better already! Looking forward to maybe visiting a nursery or two this weekend!
DeleteFalling asleep in class! I cant even picture it, I'm sure your kids enjoyed that. Glad you went to the doc and took some time. A walk through the garden seems like good medicine too.
ReplyDeleteDidn't totally start snoring or anything just nodded for a second. I think the other adults in the room found it more amusing than the kids! Walking in the garden is good medicine. Especially when there isn't pouring down rain, a gale-force wind or both raging out there!
DeleteGlad you're better Peter!
ReplyDeleteYour second photo is very pretty, love this greyish-blue foliage. Lovely phytolacca, I had it in my garden and then it suddenly disappeared.
Have a nice weekend!
Thank you, Nadezda! I hope you have a nice weekend too!
DeleteNice to see your pond, you should feature it more often :) Hope you're feeling much better now!
ReplyDeleteI like my pond too but it was one of the first projects I did in the new garden and had no idea what I was doing so I see all sorts of things I'd like to do differently when and if it ever gets redone.
DeleteHow frustrating, to have a couple of days off and be too sick to enjoy them. I used to doze off in the middle of reading the Tolkein trilogy to my kids. Lots of sharp elbows in the ribs to keep me on track...guess your students were not in position to administer that form of therapy.
ReplyDeleteThe rest felt good! On one occasion a year ago, right after lunch, warm day, sitting at a computer with a kid, I awoke to little fingers gently lifting my eyelids and saying, "Mr. Peter, open your eyes and look at this."
DeleteI'm trying to picture the kind of hijinks kids could into with a sleeping teacher.... I hope your kids are well-behaved. I hope you are feeling better. The pond looks really cool, I'm surprised you don't have the kind of attacks on your fish I had or my SIL in Seattle who has had kingfishers, Great Blue Heron, and even an otter, but she lives up from Puget Sound. Your Grevillea looks pretty, and the little pink and white flowers under the grass in the first photo.
ReplyDeleteIt was only a momentary thing and there were five other adults in the room at the time who found it very amusing. The kids just kept on watching the book. Feeling much better, thanks. I used to have horrible problems with raccoon and herons using the pond as their own personal sushi bar. I tried everything including the motion triggered jet of water that would squirt intruders. Finally, the wise woman at Hoshi Koi told me about a short electric fence which has worked like a charm for the last four years. No more unwanted visitors! We're not far from the sound but the fence, although I don't like the look of it, has worked wonders.
DeleteWell at least you have an excuse for falling asleep while reading to kids. I swear the sound of my voice reading to my grandchildren put me right to sleep. I would hear them saying, "Grammy, Grammy?" in puzzled voices. But I'm old.
ReplyDeleteI think heavy curtains of some sort would be the best answer for your garage door if you don't want to impede its use.
So cute! Bedtime stories now put adults to sleep!
DeleteI've been thinking lately about those space blankets (lightweight metallic silver things) and velcro ...
Glad you're feeling better already. It's that time of year. My younger daughter and I got flu shots last weekend and she promptly became sick from the flu mist.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your daughter getting sick from the flu mist. Crazy! I've never gotten a flu shot but probably should since I work with kids and am not getting any younger!
DeleteGlad you are feeling better. Take care so it doesn't come back.
ReplyDeleteThe fall color on that Japanese maple--oooh la la! Here most years the leaves just turn brown. :(
The brilliant fall colors of the maples is one of the reasons I love them. Sorry that yours mostly turn brown. (All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey. California dreamin' on a winter's day.)
DeleteSo what other bulbs did you plant? Were there really thousands? I only did about 300, so I'm developing a case of bulb envy. And that Phytolacca, is that aka Pokeweed? Take it easy, as you know strep throat is no fun.
ReplyDelete650 crocus
Delete100 Fritillaria meleagris
5 Fritillaria Imperialis
10 Muscari Macrocarpum 'Golden Fragrance'
100 Tulip 'American Dream'
100 Tulip 'Lightning Sun
50 Narcissus Arkle
50 Narcissus British Gamble
50 Narcissus Dutch Master
10 Allium schubertii
30 Oriental lilies
30 Narcissus tête-à-tête
100 other tulips bought in 20's at nurseries
6 Fritillaria Persica
50 Tulip 'Fire of Love'
15 colchicum
That's only 1356 but it somehow felt like more. Tom said, "I'll buy bulbs this year" and handed me his credit card. I think he enjoys the big shot of color in the spring. Next year I'll concentrate on alliums and more of the tiny bulbs. Pokeweed it is. For some reason it doesn't take over here but politely reseeds around.
Sick already? Major bummer. Maybe it will reinforce your immunity for later onslaughts. I got the flu shot last year and spent spring with the flu. What a slap in the ass. Your bulb planting marathon is amazing! Spring will be amazing in your garden!
ReplyDeleteUsually by November, we've started passing around the first bug of the school year. I always think of getting a flu shot but haven't yet. Sorry to hear about your spring flu after getting the shot - major suckage! Spring should be interesting as I'll have forgotten where I planted everything.
DeleteI hope you're feeling better Peter. Nobody's got time for that stuff. Look at all the bulbs you planted! Wow, are you in for a show next spring. I hope you'll take lots of photos. I planted three Allium schubertii a few weeks ago after seeing them in a friend's garden. They are amazing. As for locating a pond under a tree. It seems like a good idea at the time, right? Also my "tree" is a Heptacodium that started out an innocent shrub. The leaves in my pond are gross. I'm going to have a major cleaning job on my hands once the leaves are done dropping. My neighbors have blooming English ivy and the honeybees love it. So despite how much we're all supposed to hate it, it does have merit. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling much better, thanks! I keep skimming the leaves off the top of the pond and there are still plenty that sink to the bottom and clog the pump. Yuk! We're having strong winds and it's blowing leaves into the pond faster than I can scoop them out. Hope you're keeping warm during this cold snap!
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