My very own trees, in my very own yard, of my very own house, in my very own town, have been lovely as they changed colors this month. In the sun, clouds, rain, and frost, they have done all the things that leaves do when the seasons change.
Absolutely delightful, I never grow tired of sitting and observing.
These are the last 3 zinnia arrangements for the year. They have held on through some chilly days, extending the feeling of summer, in spirit anyway, through the end of October.
It got down to the upper 20's briefly overnight last night and this morning I bid them all farewell and thanked them for their amazing service over the last 3-4 months. That means these are the last of the zinnia photos for the year. This time I mean it.
This last photo of the bougainvillea shows that it did come through at the end and put on a pretty good show despite my doubts.
I guess I better get out there and trim, scatter, pull, and move. Just the usual fall gardening chores. I am waiting for Barry and Alex (the 2 remaining Harvey boys) to come and knock on the glass and tell me they are ready to help. Garden chores are much more enjoyable with cats to help.
And one final thing, since it is the last day of October. It would not be right if we did not have some of this hanging around the house.
Happy Halloween!
The zinnias know their season is coming to a close and want to get it on record that their performance this year has been one of THE most spectacular ever. Especially since most of them were volunteers. To the very end, they are blooming almost faster than I can keep up with.
I am out daily, unless I am working, deadheading and clipping new stems for arrangements.
There is absolutely no shortage of blooms from which to pick. The butterflies, bees, moths, grasshoppers, and all manner of other flying things are enjoying them as well.
I will try not to post new zinnia pictures more than once a week, but no promises are being made.
I am now up to the year 1932 in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. In this installment - Among the Mad - Maisie is working with Scotland Yard and Detective Chief Superintendent Robbie McFarland to identify the person threatening to wreak havoc on the city of London, if the British government doesn’t do something to help the soldiers from the First World War, who have not been able to return to their “normal” lives after their experiences at war. They are under a timeline and the plot moves quickly.
I remain a fan of this quite enjoyable series. Maisie’s character continues to evolve as she settles more deeply into her work and home. Her assistant Billie Beale, her friend Pricilla, and her dear father also make appearances in the story. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Above are yesterdays morning snippings. There is nothing more fun than arranging flowers harvested on a stroll through the garden.
These sunflowers are from the friendship garden by the school near our home. All these blooms are on one thick “jack in the beanstalk” type of stem.
Here’s a leaf that wandered into my path on a morning walk. The architecture of this specimen is amazing. Mother nature at work.
The poppies under the redbud tree out front are blooming. I love their very delicate stem, that bud that hangs there so heavy, then one day, like magic they open.
This year I have more deep red and fewer pink. But the one below is a stunner.
I am always happy when I see these coming up. Over the years, the birds have spread them around to the back and side as well. A pop of red is welcome in any location in my flower beds. These poppies are the gift that keeps on giving. I think of you every single year when they bloom Jeanette. With gratitude.
Heads up all you gardeners out there. Here is the next big trend you are going to see in the best gardens everywhere.
Yes, flower boxes, on swings, hanging from trees. How cool does that look? As you can see if you look down the row of trees, there were multiples of these swings at Kauffman Memorial Gardens in Kansas City this week when I went. I love the organic look of the rope and unfinished plank that is the swing. I will have to return to see how they do as summer advances.
This garden is on the smaller size but is always SPECTACULAR and must be visited regularly, because things are always changing. The orchid area, which has been locked for awhile was open. There is a new Kit Kat living here. Her name is "Busy" and she is feisty. I think the house has been locked to give her a chance to acclimate to her new environment. I am looking forward to getting to know her better.
These gardenias were beautiful, fragrant, waxy, such a delight to see and smell.
This garden is located near the country club plaza and always warrants a stop when I am in the area. If you are planning to be in the city, and haven't been before, or it's been awhile, add this stop to your itinerary. You won't be sorry.
This week we crossed the Reinisch Rose Garden Topeka off our list of places to visit. We have lived in Lawrence since 1985 and I LOVE roses but for some reason we have never been.
If you went expecting to see roses like you see at the Huntington in LA or really any place in California, you would be disappointed.
But as you can see they do have some decent specimens and I was taking in deep breaths of the nicely perfumed air the whole time we were there.
There was also this.
I think a green heron though I could be wrong. He had his eyes focused intently on something in the lotus pond.
Something other than the flowers that is.
We decided they could use a cadre of volunteers to do some weeding, and funding to do a bit of refreshing on the fountains and pools.
Again, it did not detract from my enjoyment of the roses they had.
The garden is located within Gage park which was established in 1899.
I do love these big heavy old fashioned roses.
There was a frog on site monitoring things along with the green heron. I told him it was shady under the big trees and maybe he wanted to consider a change in location but he wasn't interested in my opinions.
These peach roses may have been my favorite. I was tempted to snip some but did not succumb to my desires, doing as the sign suggested and only taking pictures.
It's the time of year when annuals are being added here and there in the garden. Some color while we wait for seeds to do their things and later perennials to bloom.
I do so love a nice vibrant long-blooming vinca. That bright fuchsia color demanded to come home with me. The charmed wine oxalis is for a pot on the porch. It was a lucky find at the nursery, I was sure I had missed the chance to get some.
The coral bells under the redbud tree out front are looking great. The red husker penstemon has started to bloom. There is a nice crop of poppies that will bloom in another week or two. If one of you wants to come over and dig up all that liriope that continues to try and take over the front garden, I will ply you with iced coffee's in the mornings and adult cold beverages in the afternoon. I keep telling myself "tomorrow I will deal with that".
I clipped a few roses the other day and brought them in to enjoy. I am looking at them as I type. Maybe in my next life I will live in a climate that is more hospitable to roses. It just gets too hot here in the summer. I certainly do delight in the small crop that I harvest each spring, and sometimes later in the fall. When I was listening to the Wiser Than Me podcast Julia Louis-Dreyfus did with Isabel Allende today, there was a lovely line in it from Isabel about re-inventing herself several times in her life over the years. Hence my thoughts of a cottage with a wild profusion of roses.
Yellow stuff is blooming at the Baker Wetlands right now. I forgot to consult the references posted out there when I was leaving to see exactly what it is. Other than pretty that is. I do like a wild prairie meadow.
This week there was some much needed garden work attended to. The non-glamourous side of gardening, where you get hot, sweaty, and sore, then go sit on the porch with an ice pack on your back and a cool refreshing beverage in your hand. While I was out pulling up the weeds, and wondering why my lavender plants seem not to have made it through the winter, I was delighted to note all the zinnias that have reseeded themselves from last year.
There was also poppy #1 hanging out. All by itself, though a few others are not far behind. I am engaging the bindweed in battle on multiple fronts.
Geraniums and a fern have been put in pots. Caladiums, tradescantia zebrina, and neon pothos were put in pots under the Japanese maple out front.
Caladiums were purchased at Jungle House in Lawrence. It's a cool little local business with knowledgable, helpful, people who are glad to help with your questions... and with advice about how to care for a plant you may not be familiar with. That was the case for me with the Stromanthe Triostar I purchased.
They let me know it needs rain or distilled water - no tap water. Really glad they told me that. I would not have guessed. It's my experiment for this summer. Fingers crossed that it does well.
The market peonies from last week were pretty all week. I should also mention the coconut lime cake was delicious.
While I am at it, the protein balls were WONDERFUL and will become a regular addition to my weekly purchases. I have made my own several times this year and liked them but her's were better.
Today when I headed out to take my walk it was raining. Thus, I was forced to go get a latte, look out the window, and make sure I record all my vitally important thoughts in my journal.
The end
These are the tulips that came home with me from the farmers market this week. They are shorter and less "showy" than the bouquets from the last two weeks.
Less vibrant but not less beautiful.
They remind me of the colors of butter mints at a wedding. Those mints that are so good with a few salty nuts, wedding cake, and a glass of champagne.
Nancy told me this week that if you put a "pre-1985" penny in the bottom of the vase, and change the water every single day, they last for "weeks". I just looked this up by the way, and in 1982 the penny stopped being made of 95% copper. So really it would be a "pre-1982" penny.
AND here's another fun fact - copper is a fungicide and bacteria and fungi are what shorten the life span of flowers. Gosh darn it that Nancy knows her stuff!
Mine usually last a full 5 days then start to drop leaves, which is ok, because then it's time for the next farmers market. But it can't hurt to have Chris go through his coins searching for a pre-1982 penny so I can test the theory. Right?
What I saw on a recent walk out in the woods, on the unpaved trails, where one must pay close attention to the roots that can reach up and grab your foot before you know it.
It's really hard though, not to keep looking up at the pops of purple from the redbud trees which are native to this area.
One of the very best things about a spring hike in the woods.
On this day there were about 4 crows pestering a hawk overhead, they simply would not leave it alone. I haven't seen that before. I kept on walking and left them to their business.
Here is what happened to my redbud tree after our hail storm a few nights back.
But, it was a lovely bloom this year, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Now it's time for the pretty heart shaped leaves to shine.
Today I got up, raced to work, gave a talk about VSED (Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking), took care of a bit of the business and then did something I have not done in what seems like a long time.
I went on an ADVENTURE.
A spring scouting adventure. Where before buying anything (if you can resist) you look at all the wonderful things you might want to get for your porch this year.
And you consult with all the other smiling gardeners at the nursery to get their thoughts on whether it's too early to put these things out of doors here in Kansas yet. We may have some temps still in the mid 30's in the next 10 days.
For sure the tropicals must wait. At least for me. Gosh aren't those leaves up above fabulous?!
After we filled our internal gardening spaces with ideas, colors, and all our dreams, we headed to Kaufman Gardens for a stroll.
We oohed, we aahhed, we exclaimed, we appreciated.
...and when we had our fill, we headed to our favorite French bistro for lunch and celebrated with lemon tart for dessert after we each ordered our favorite salad.
Mary Joan and I highly recommend you split one of these if you go to Aixios. You will not be disappointed.
Here's to more Spring Adventures!
A recent walk at a park in KC I haven't been to in many years. They were mowing the grass and every once in a while I could smell the pungent aroma of wild onion. I thought of all the old walks with an old friend I haven't seen in years as I ambled along.
These days of perfect temps, blue skies, no humidity, are not taken for granted.
After the walk, avocado toast and an iced vanilla latte for lunch. Then it was off to find a pot of pansies for the front porch. In year's gone by my friend Barb's mom (Ginger) would always let her know, then she would let me know, when it was the exact right time to go and get the pansies. Ginger is gone, but when it's pansy time, she is present.
This is the redbud in the front yard, if I have already shown it to you this year, forgive me. It's like baby pictures. Can I please show you just one more?
Happy Sunday to each of you, wherever you are and whatever you are doing.
On a recent short outing, I was so pleased to see this grouping of Star Magnolias blooming. Every year, at the end of March, beginning of April, when the winds blow, signaling the arrival of Spring, I begin to watch for them to do their thing.
The shift from bare stems, to blooms, then leaves, is fast… but oh it's glorious.
This year was no different.
I love the waxy petals, the hint of palest pink, the green of the grass, the blue of the sky.
Every single year, without fail, I feel like it's the first time I have ever seen this transformation.
It never fails to astonish and delight.
Let's talk daffodils today shall we? I have been waiting and waiting and waiting some more for the arrival of bunches of them in the grocery store for the American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days. Finally, on Saturday morning, I found some!
I rushed them home, trimmed the ends, put them in vases, and placed them where I could enjoy them the most.
Early this morning, more were open. So beautiful.
Spring things are happening a little later here this year, but they are happening. I have a wonderful crop of buds on my redbud tree right now.
These will open into the most beautiful flowers very soon. While I miss the 2 small cherry trees that formerly lived in this spot, I have been delighted so far with this redbud tree.
This morning I made a solo venture to one of my favorite coffee shops. A signpost of recovery. It was wonderful to sit, sip, write, think, listen, smile, be happy to be here.
Right as I got out of my car I spotted these slightly different variety of daffodils.
So beautiful against that lovely distressed brick background.
And just like that the weekend is almost over. Tomorrow I am back to work again, feeling revitalized and ready. Lunches packed, uniform at the ready. The trend that started on post op day #30 is continuing. Thank every single one of you for your well wishes.
A recent morning stroll in the neighborhood, there was a great blue heron standing like a statue in the middle of this pond right before I took the photo. There is something so beautiful to me about mist rising from a body of water. Not to mention the sky and clouds with their mirror image on the surface of the pond.
These wonderful walking temperatures are going by the wayside, to be replaced by the need for hats, gloves, and flannel lined jeans. But while they are here we take advantage.
In the last few days the remaining zinnias have been cut down. Dried flower heads opened and sprinkled in the earth, covered with leaves, waiting for rain to gently ease them into the soil safely where they may or may not emerge again come spring. I love the hope and uncertainty that is gardening. Nothing is guaranteed, just like the rest of life.
Nothing can compete with the beauty of the bougainvillea in September and October in Kansas. It takes the heat and just keeps pumping out the blooms. If you are wondering, no - it does not survive the winter. It's an annual in Kansas and I get one every year for the back deck.
The Zinnias are waning but I think they are lovely as they fade and decline. The butterflies, ladybugs, bees, and other insects think they are great right now too.
These will get plucked and torn open and the seeds allowed to settle into the soil here in the next week before it gets too cold. Last year this ensured a great crop of returnees and I am hoping for the same thing next summer.
I have yet to get mums and pumpkins for the front porch, but... I have roasted my first butternut squash of the year. Completely fabulous eaten right off the roasting pan or thrown into salads along with whatever else you want to add. The weather is changing here and it's about time for butternut squash bisque as well.
These early fall days are the BEST for morning walks. The leaves above and below, the smells of the earth, it's all wonderful, amazing, and fleeting. I grasp each day with all my senses and let the magic sink deeply into my bones.
The back deck with the flower pots, and the zinnia beds, have been getting lots of winged visitors - butterflies and hummingbirds abound. Here are the ones I caught today. No hummingbirds here, and none of those yellow "sulphur" butterflies, but there was a very active swallowtail and maybe a monarch and a few that look like a monarch but are smaller. They are so lovely.
A pure delight to watch them flutter about. Just another example of the wonders of the natural world.
P.S. The swallowtail was not one bit bothered by my presence. It came very close, almost landing on me several times.
Gosh it seems like just weeks ago that I planted this bougainvillea, when in fact it was near the end of May. How, in 4 short months did these branches get so long? Bougainvillea by their nature, like to sidle up, encroach, invade, dominate, which is something to be admired in a bright, flowery, heat tolerant - when everything else is fading - plant.
The fact that this aeonium survived the summer is a huge surprise and I will winter it over inside. The succulent pots did well this year, in large part because I tried to move them under cover when it rained a lot. That’s what I am attributing it to anyway.
The lantana is also a stunner right now.
It's the first year for the lemon/white combination along with the orange/pink and orange/red. It's very pleasing to me.
Things I am appreciating, enjoying, investigating. That's what this post is about.
If you don't have a friend who is almost 99 years old, can I suggest you go out and find one? Then be sure and schedule regular meet-ups to talk about important stuff - like getting over the part of us that always thinks we should be "doing" something. Marti Huff makes life better and I am grateful to this day that she wrote up a contract to make me an honorary member of the family.
In the enjoying arena, unless you have a field of zinnia's of your own (though other flowers would also work), you can not imagine the sheer pleasure of going out to cut every few days and putting together fresh arrangements. Whatever strikes your fancy gets cut.
Below I am appreciating AND enjoying this short cooler spell we are having which makes needlepoint on the front porch wonderful. At all times of the day. The natural light is the best.
It's about to be full on bougainvillea time here. When it's hot and sticky and things are melting and fading, it is at it's finest.
I requested my local library buy Finna by Nate Marshall, sometime in the last year. I think I mentioned it here before. You know how when you read a poem that touches something in you, a shared experience that somehow the poet has found a way to say that makes you want to shout YES! This isn't that book or that poem. This is a collection of words and sentences put together in a way that touch you for a whole lot of other reasons. I do not have the words to do it justice. Just go get it.
Then settle in for a lesson on language. HIGHLY recommended.
This past weekend the Oh My Gouache class met on Sunday and did some ZOOM painting together. In our previous sessions we have tackled portraits and I have been practicing on everyone. Taking quick screen shots in ZOOM meetings gives an opportunity for all sorts of expressions and angles to be captured. I don't tell people I am going to make a masterpiece of their likeness. I just do my thing.
This week the topic was landscapes and it was great fun. I wish I had a week after each of these sessions to immerse myself totally in doing nothing but eat, drink, sleep, and paint... but that's not life and it does not stop me from painting when I can, how I do, and the outcome is not judged too harshly.
If you want to see "pretty", let's look at the sunflowers from the farmers market.
On the reading/listening front I finally finished all 8 episodes of the Trojan Horse Affair podcast. Wow. That is investigative journalism at a very high level. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Link below if you are interested in listening. Each episode is around 40 minutes or so. I loved all the conclusions they drew at the end, about what happened, about each other, about expectations. Link provided below.
The Trojan horse Affair podcast
Last but not least here are some of this week's zinnia clippings.
I rather like the pale peach colored ones in the very center. Almost as much as I liked Barry (the newest Harvey boy) coming to let me pet him while I was cutting them.
Through the years, during zinnia season, there have been postings where I have declared one specific zinnia my absolute favorite. Today, an addition to that list is this hot orange number with lavender on the tips of its petals towards the center.
You will notice the queen lime reds along with all those wonderful pink/fuchsia colors. They are special too.
But seriously, and this time I mean it, the orange with lavender is really my absolute, final, selection for favorite.
Until I see a different bloom next week.
The other morning I took a cookie sheet, some clippers, 5 vases, and myself out to the back yard. Here is what I did.
I cut a bunch of zinnias and greenery, threw them on the cookie sheet, then sat down in a comfy chair on the deck (in the shade), and made arrangements.
When all the stuff on the cookie sheet had been placed in a vase, I brought them all inside and admired my handiwork.
I did not find any flaws. Not one.
You will have to go along with me on my current obsession with this year's caladiums.
They might be the best one's I have ever had. The funny thing is they looked so straggly when I planted them. Then we had a super wet/coolish period, but here we are six weeks later, and they are simply stellar. They are in pots in my front garden where I can observe them from my favorite morning sitting spot. I watch the sun as it comes up on my right and filters through the leaves of the Japanese maple, creating the most amazing shadows.
For each garden failure, there are these victories that step in to remind me why I love getting sweaty & dirty and continue to coax all I can from my little spot of the world.
Before leaving for the Farmers Market today, I ventured outside to check on things. See what needed my attention... you know the drill. Fan went on, candle was lit, pillow fluffed, coffee sipped. Then I started thinking about how interesting it is that ALL us Moss kids love our outdoor spaces, just like Angie did.
It's endlessly fascinating to watch the light and how it changes from one minute to the next. Did she watch the light?
Listening to the birds and the fountain, a tiny cutting was potted, a mud dauber nest was vigorously dislodged using the handle of my broom, geraniums were deadheaded.
Thoughts drifted in and out. Plants were checked on.
Before you know it all desire to leave my space had vanished, and thus the Farmers Market was missed.
The End.
This may be the best poppy season I have had. Ever. Maybe it's the way they look in the combination of sun/shade under the lime and gold leaves of the Rising Sun Redbud. Perhaps is is due to all the rain last month? Who can say why it is so.
What matters is that it is. They are so lovely to look at. Delicate, perfect, only here for a short time. They demand my attention and I respond by stopping, sitting, looking. Sometimes I tell them how wonderful they are. Because who doesn't want to hear that.
Geraniums are hands-down my favorite flower for pots on the front porch. Some would call it boring, maybe regimented, but the truth is I just know what I like and these geraniums are reliable performers.
The jade plants and oxalis have also come outside.
Caladiums are in their pots, under the Japanese maple, where for some reason the hosta's just don't do so well anymore. I like this lime green "neon pothos" that I decided to pair with them along with the tradescantia zebrina. If it does well here I will bring some in for the winter - it's classified as a tropical houseplant... we'll see.
It's full on "little old lady land" on my front porch and I am not ashamed to admit it. It takes years to collect stuff from all the women gardeners that came before me. You can not buy it all at once and set it out. A true little old lady can tell the difference between a carefully curated collection and something bought all at once for effect... not that there is anything wrong with that.
Happy Sunday from Kansas, where my very brief "rose season" has commenced. I cut these earlier in the week.
Here is what they look like today. Colors fading, still lovely and fragrant.
These were snipped this morning while I was sitting out back, having coffee, contemplating what the day would bring. Thinking about Dottie and Christy flying home from Maui today. Chatting with brother on FaceTime. Enjoying videos of Sister's new kit kats - Iris and Otto. Oh what a pair.
It's hard to believe my part-time gig has been in place for 2 months now. I stepped right into the new routine and haven't looked back. More time each week to do whatever ... is hard to beat. When I go to work, I continue to feel in synch with the work flow and don't wish I was retired. This balance feels right. I am enjoying the morning commute sunrises right now, which are the very best at the end of May and first part of June.
I just finished Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout. An enjoyable read, and just like the first book, Olive Kitteridge, it's an interesting format - interacting with the main character from her own perspective but also the perspectives of others. Excellent for reading a chapter or two before bed. I picked this up months ago from a free library in Lawrence. Going to put it back there this week.
My sewing machine got taken to the shop for it's annual physical since it hasn't had one since 2017. Where does the time go? It's funny when you can't do something how you want to do it even more than usual. While I was scrolling through instagram earlier today I saw a photo about a red and white quilt exhibit up in Lincoln Nebraska that is calling my name. Must investigate. The Joanna S. Rose Red & White Collection here's a link if you are interested and in the area.
Dianthus have been harvested, and I also took advantage of my friend Pam's invitation to get some of her peonies this week.
Spring feels extra good this year. At least it does today. Which is what we are given so I'm running with it.
Playing around with scraps to make this pillow sham was good fun. Though it's hard to tell from these photos, I practiced some quilting. I also tried folding over the back of the sham to make the "binding" instead of making bias binding and attaching it separately. That was a mistake, but you have to try it to know that right? This method does not lay down as smoothly, at least it didn't for me.
I am not 100% sold on the "matching" of a sham to a quilt, but what the heck.
In other news, this dianthus, planted at least 10 years ago, has returned yet again.
It just hangs on to the rock wall and does its thing every year. A wonderful little plant for mini flower arrangements, that also provides plenty of pleasure as I look at it from the window over my sink.
All the flowers are done for the year from the Rising Sun redbud but aren't the leaves just beautiful?
I also finally went through the burpee catalog and ordered zinnia seeds to plant. It feels like maybe it's a bit later than last year but you can plant them all summer long so why not whenever you get around to it?
On the reading front, I finished the first of the Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell - Faceless Killers. As in the previous book I read by him, The Shadow Girls (not part of the Kurt Wallander series), I was irritated at times by the main character and yet was compelled to see how it turned out. I will likely try the second in the series... to see if Kurt gets any smarter in his personal life as he is in his professional work. Actually, "smarter" is not the right word. He just struggles so, as we all do, with what seems to the reader (anyway) like the obvious best choices. If you've read the series do weigh in. This was the first book I have listened to on a library app (Hoopla) as opposed to an actual CD, which has opened up my listening options greatly. Plus, it makes me feel savvy.
It's Tulip Time at Ted Ensley Gardens in Topeka. If you live in the area, you may want to go. But make it quick before the wind and the rain put an end to the celebration that this day was.
The thing is there are big trees, little trees, flowering trees, and interesting structures in addition to the tulips.
I already mentioned the lake didn't I?
The massed plantings are splendid. Up close and from a distance. The air is also perfumed with the smell from flowering shrubs.
This year was the best display we have caught. Our timing was perfect.
An essential element to the visit is bringing your lunch to sit and eat slowly as you take it all in. There are many tables and benches. Alternately, you can do what we did and get yourself a sandwich from Schlotsky's on SW 29th street. I like the original. Chris goes for the ham and cheese. Cold water, iced tea, a few chips.
That's the recipe for a perfect day. A nap after you get home as an add-on to the itinerary is strongly suggested.
Because I am away from my Farmers Market this weekend and because these Dahlias are so special, and finally because I told you I was going to do it, here are some more of last week's Dahlias.
At the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg, California they have a wonderful Dahlia garden. If you are ever in the area at just the right time, you must visit. There are so many different varieties and benches where you can sit while you soak in all their beauty.
I don't know about the rest of you who "suffer" with allergies, but this year has been one of my sneeziest in recent memory (yes, sneeziest is the superlative form of sneezy). This has me ready, dare I say it... for the first freeze. Then I remember the zinnias, which are still looking good.
Which means I have to show you these.
The vase above is from a flea market in Budapest, the one below from a botanical garden in Sweden.
This tall pottery vase is from the Lost Coast Found antique store in Ft. Bragg, California. A local potters early work? A rare treasure? I love to collect small bottles, jars, and vases from my travels.
Happy Weekend all. If you are in the vicinity of Lawrence and looking for some morning coffee and a pastry may I suggest you stop in at 1900 Barker? Get yourself a morning bun and go sit on the patio out back. It's shaded by trees and you can watch the 2 cats next door who live in peaceful co-existence with the chickens.
Helpful links: 1900 Barker
Apparently I was in an orange frame of mind when I went outside to snip flowers last week.
With a dash of yellow and a stem of sage, placed on top of a cupcake platter for extra height, I liked them just fine.
They are only surpassed by the front porch arrangement this week which consisted of big, bushy, blooms, of bright colors.
Again with the color transitions...
Upstairs by the computer there was this,
and in front of the sink, these.
On a completely unrelated topic... at this exact moment I am texting with a friend - we have nothing to wear to the "cocktail party" we are going to tonight. I am trying to convince her that we should wear halloween costumes and she doesn't seem to think that will work. As for me, I am going to adhere to what is written on page 13 of the guide to looking good in any situation, "...the key to feeling confident in what you are wearing wherever you go, is not looking in the mirror after you are dressed, and believing what your mind tells you when it says you look great".
For this week's zinnia post, I headed outside to take some pictures in the garden, to give you a sense of the crazy riot of color and variety out there.
The butterflies, hummingbirds, and even the goldfinches seem to like the zinnias. They make good "waiting stations" for the bird feeder.
These lavender to orange transitions are some of my most favorites.
Having a vase of flowers on the front porch, might be considered unnecessary, but it makes me feel content, and with no shortage of product... it has become a fixture.
No surface is safe around this house. Have vases, will use!
This bougainvillea is having a spectacular summer. Bright and bushy. Just plain fabulous. It keeps pushing out the color. Reaching into the herb containers territory, it knows no bounds. I make zero attempts to restrict it.
The caladiums out front are also performing well. The sun moves across them in a most pleasing manner while I sip my coffee in the morning.
A swallowtail and a dragonfly stop to visit
A new favorite zinnia blooms. I don't know its name. I did not order any that looked quite like this.
Sometimes nature gets an idea and just goes with it.
In that same vein, of nature knowing best, the bougainvillea is as captivating in the evening light as it is in the early morning and mid-day. I am looking out at the pink clouds as the last of the evening light fades right this second. I hope your view, wherever you are sitting, is as restful.
Some of this week's zinnias gathered on the table.
A few bright colors were added to go with the limes because experimentation is fun.
Before I threw the old blooms out, I decided to pop off the flower heads and arrange them on a cupcake stand.
After they were completely dried, I tore them open and threw them back out in the flower beds. I have had good luck with a few volunteers coming back each year. It's fun to see what happens with the returnees.
The kitchen window sill must have it's vase of zinnias as well. The addition of basil makes things more interesting.
I always have such rose envy when I see a garden full of beautiful rose bushes. At the height of zinnia season though, I am totally counting my blessings. The colors, shapes, and staying power of a good vase of zinnias is hard to beat.
P.S. I am not running for the position of president of the international zinnia fan club. Even though I realize I do tend to go on about them, in a manner that might make you think my name is on that ballot.
Just a few zinnias for today. In a pink vase, purchased 7 or 8 years ago. Before I knew I was going to become a zinnia grower and need a vase exactly like this in which to properly display the Queen Lime Reds and Tequila Lime's.
I do love it when things like that happen.
In case you can't tell by the banner at the top of this post, zinnia season is upon us.
If I have to pick a favorite, it is always going to be the Queen Lime Red combined with the Tequila Lime and a few coneflowers and basil.
The Tequila Lime are all lime and the ones with the pink in there along with lime are the Queen Lime Red. That little one below, that is mostly pink with just a hint of green is also a Queen Lime Red. I just love how they all come out a bit different, and how the colors change as they mature.
Let me also say that a bouquet of all the colors and all the sizes is pretty hard not to fall head over heels in love with.
The best thing about zinnias is that once you figure them out (where to plant, how to water, when to pinch back the blooms, where to cut to promote ongoing blooms, and what spot in your garden will produce the best results), you will have a non-stop profusion of flowers all season long that will make you happy from July until October. At least that's our season in Kansas. Depending upon when you plant the seeds of course. I planted the ones in my front garden just a bit later and they are not blooming yet.
On my last day in LA sister took me to the gardens at the Huntington for a stroll through paradise.
From the subtropical, through the cactus/succulents, to the open areas with wonderful trees, an opportunity to appreciate the natural world at it's finest.
Huge specimens with amazing curves and twists.
I think this is the tree that grew from a seed that came from Mexico or maybe South America in the very early 1900's.
The Chinese garden has been recently reopened after an expansive renovation. Such a peaceful place.
Mosaic tiles made with pebbles to walk on and waterfalls to walk under.
The roses are lush, full, and fragrant. In my mind I walked through with a bucket of cool water and cut a nice selection, brought them into my kitchen and arranged them in a vase for the table.
At the end we sat in the cool marble chair and enjoyed the statues in Shakespeare's garden.
This is one of my very favorite places in all the world. It inspires and delights me every single time I come and fills me with even greater appreciation for every living thing.
Poppies are blooming here. Maybe I love these dark red ones the best?
There is nothing namby-pamby about it. It grabs your attention. No getting around it.
And oh. dear. me. Look what's to come still.
A multitudinous multitude of more blooms.
All of this has been happening under the watchful eye of Harvey. With the bobcat-esque tufts of hair on his ears.
In exchange I have been petting him vigorously, keeping the cat mint crop well tended, and telling him regularly how beautiful he is.
The May garden report is as follows:
A. Geraniums planted. Since I can not live in California where they grow as big as bushes and are a mass of blooms, I settle for them in pots. On the porch.
B. This Japanese fern is positively eating up all the rain we are having.
C. The perennial geraniums with the small pinkish white flowers are also having a bumper year. Columbine too!
D. My inner old lady has completely let go of the concept of restraint on the front porch.
E. False Blue indigo is at it's height of perfection.
F. I am trying out Rex begonias this year. Such cool colors and textures.
G. Remember when "Swedish Ivy" was the plant that everyone had in their dorm room in college, hanging in front of the one window in the whole room in a pot in a macrame hanger? I haven't had one for years. Now I do. Yep, on the front porch.
Despite the rain, I will be sitting outside from morning to night this weekend. Sipping on coffee, water, chilled sauvignon blanc, and who knows what else - I'll just be here bonding with my plants in these all important formative weeks of their development. Whispering to them that I will try my hardest not to over or under water them, and letting them know if any squirrels try to bury their nuts in them they will be punished severely. No one messes with my pots.
Last year, at the height of the pandemic, my friend Pam reminded me that she had peony bushes in her garden... with more blooms than she needed. This year, she again invited me to come by and assist in the harvest and transport of these amazing blooms to good homes.
On Friday, after work, armed with my trusty vase and clippers (that live in the back of my car, always at the ready when needed), I stopped at her lovely home.
You can not imagine the sheer pleasure of approaching a bunch of blooming bushes with full permission to harvest.
When I got home, I dug out the pink vase, re-arranged my collection of peonies, and sat back to admire them.
There are so many wonderful flowers in the world.
Peonies are top on the list of favorites of many flower lovers.
How can they not be? Bold, vibrant, and fragrant.
Such a wonderful specimen.
I love how the buds, can also be clipped, and when placed in the right location, will open and bloom as well.
Thank You Pam for this wonderful experience. Sharing in the harvest of your garden is like going to a wonderful art gallery and being told that you may take what you like, such an extravagant gift.
On a recent trip to the Kauffman Gardens near the plaza in Kansas City, my inner gardener was awakened, re-vitalized, and motivated. Raise your hand if you want to make a bunch of key tassels like these and hang them up somewhere in your garden/porch/patio. Aren't they just simple and fabulous? Imagine them on a sunny day with the light filtering through. Sigh.
I do not feel the need to have a buddha's hand citron in my garden, but a gardenia would be welcomed. The one below was covered with blooms and smelled heavenly.
Yes please to the argyranthemum above, especially with those artfully arranged curly branches. As soon as I win the lottery I am also getting a dancing girl in a water feature.
Columbine, iris, allium, pansy's, and coral bells were all in top form.
A peach iris is not generally my favorite, but this one was the exact color of an old "party-dress" we used to dress up in when we were kids. Hadn't thought of it in years. I remember none of the specifics of the playing, but the dress I recall in great detail.
When I told Joan that these flowers looked like a dutch girl with braids, she told me her grandmother used to tell her they were "the bleeding heart of Jesus" when she was a kid way up in North Dakota years ago.
Window shopping at the Crestwood shops is always enjoyable, especially after a spring salad (butter lettuce, grilled shrimp, avocado, orange, grapefruit, candied walnuts, dried cranberries) eaten out of doors at Aixois. We sat and imagined the lives of the other diners around us. What they did, what kind of house they lived in, what their relationships were like, what routines they had. You know, just the usual stuff you do when you go out and see PEOPLE again.
We passed by a house while we were out and I had to screech on the brakes to take photos of the poppies. The house next door was for sale and we discussed the pros and cons of buying it, how we would decorate, rockers versus a swing versus regular chairs for the front porch, etc... It's fun to invent alternate lives.
It was a lovely day. Not taken for granted, each detail tucked in a special folder to be opened again when needed.
This morning, before I took a walk, and watered the zinnia seeds, and dug up some red husker penstemon, and filled the car with gas, and got a massage, and took a shower, and met Joan for an adventure, I took a million pictures of the iris in my garden.
I love how they reliably return each spring, emerging from their parchment-like wrapping, some years more bountiful than others. Always a reminder of Angie's back yard in Harrison, coming up along the back fence, where she could see them from the patio where she loved to sit and drink coffee, and admire the fruits of her labors.
The life in my garden is changing by the hour, the Japanese maple cloaks me in pink light from my position on the porch. The forget-me-nots and grape hyacinths are blooming, hostas and false baptisia are pushing through the ground. The hydrangea leaves are unfurling from their hiding spots in the branches.
The branches on the redbud I was worried about are putting out leaves. Those light green/gold colors are just perfect. The coral bells with the multi-colored veins in their foliage are doing their thing.
Miraculous. Every single bit of it.
Beauty, coffee, history, laughter, the search for potential acquisitions, and culinary explorations have become the essential agenda items for days devoted to adventure. Curiosities should also be sought out if possible.
These crested euphorbias filled the curiosity bill nicely recently.
One will be on my back patio this summer. I feel certain.
These "pop your eyes out" fuchsia geraniums were spectacular. Too early here for planting them, which in no way lessened my enjoyment at gazing upon them.
This months history lesson was a visit to the Avenue of Murals in downtown Kansas City, Kansas. This project was begun in 2004 with the help of professional artists in residence and involved local high school kids. How cool is that? We only got to 3 of them, there are a total of eight. Shown below are a celebration Mexican folkloric dancing, one which honors the building that housed a local newspaper and features a printer, and one representing modern and traditional Hmong culture. Vibrant and beautiful.
Below, in the realm of culinary experiences, is one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. Butternut squash hummus. I must puzzle out a recipe to try at home. Holy Smokes it was good.
While we were eating it, we came up with a whole list of things to do in the near, and not so near future. It's good to have plans, ideas, dreams... to look forward to.
P.S. if you live in the KC area and you want to try the butternut squash hummus - get yourself to Brown & Loe in the river market area.
Tulips in reverse. From petals falling, to exposed inner workings, each step of maturing has been appreciated here.
Spring you just keep on coming. The world (and me in particular) is ready for YOU.
Though "red leaf" season is over (here in Kansas anyway), and this blog has seen more than it's share of posts devoted to fall color, brace yourself for one more. Because these are MY red leaves. The ones from the tree that I planted in 2017 after the first one I planted died a premature death in an early frost. Or maybe it was a late hard frost after the tree had already budded out. Either way.
Though it looks like it, this photos are not enhanced. This was the best I can ever recall it looking, and it popped overnight.
I sat outside on the front porch and enjoyed it on a day off. So glad I did.
Because the next day it looked like this, after wind and rain.
And now, this. I almost replaced the first Japanese maple with something else out of worry the second one would die too. So glad I didn't listen to my sensible self.
Because even if we only have a year of magnificent color like this every 3-4 years, it is splendid enough to keep me satisfied through the so-so years.
Before the unexpected cold snap, or in case I get lazy later, let me just show you right now how the succulents out back fared this year.
These guys are sort of on their own out back. I mean they get a drink occasionally but since I worry about overwatering them, I try to leave them alone. They could likely use a bit of protection from the sun at times too, but I don't move them around.
It's not a succulent, but the bougainvillea really did well this year too. I should have tucked some of those branches up through the support earlier on to encourage upward growth more than out to the sides ... maybe?
Now I just need to take a few cuttings to bring in for next year. For sure that crassula sunset jade, some of the ruffled echeveria, and maybe the panda plant. The trick is to bring in a few, but not so many that there is no "winter break" from gardening. That is one thing I like about living in a climate with 4 seasons. It gives one enough time without something, to miss it and want to get back to it when the proper season rolls around again.
It's hard to pick a favorite zinnia. There are a multitude of reasons to like each of them. That said, I am partial to the Queen Red Lime and the Queen Lime Orange. Especially with a few Tequila Lime thrown in for good measure.
I love the varying degrees of lime combined with the red and orange, as well as the different shapes.
They are reliable and produce in abundance throughout the summer.
The key is making sure to spend a little time at the outset, preparing the soil, keeping the area moist until the seeds germinate, and then a little watering every day or so until they take off.
They flower on nice long stems, perfect for cutting and bringing inside.
I don't know anyone who can pass by a patch of zinnias and not vow to plant some. My seeds are from Burpee. I have ordered from them the last several years and been very pleased with how they performed. I always sow way more seeds than is likely needed. I come from the "more is more, and that is better" school of seed planting.
