Tall Tales from Kansas

sit, sip, write, think, listen, smile

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.

 

the hope and uncertainty that is gardening

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. 

it's all wonderful, amazing, and fleeting

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. 

not one bit bothered by my presence

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. 

the lemon/white combination

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. 

if you don't have a friend who is almost 99 years old

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. 

I don't tell people I am going to make a masterpiece of their likeness

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. 

this time I mean it

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.  

I did not find any flaws

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. 

to coax all I can from my little spot of the world

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. 

us Moss kids love our out of door spaces

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. 

they demand my attention

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. 

full on "little old lady land"

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. 

I'm running with it

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.

what the heck

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. 

the recipe for a perfect day

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. 

while you soak in all their beauty

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. 

watch the 2 cats who live in peaceful co-existence with the chickens

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
 

on page 13 of the guide to looking good in any situation

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".

have vases, will use

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!

sometimes nature gets an idea and just goes with it

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. 

what happens with the returnees

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.  

when things like that happen

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.

a non-stop profusion of flowers all season long that will make you happy

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. 

one of my very favorite places in all the world

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. 

a multitudinous multitude of more blooms

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. 

if any squirrels try to bury their nuts in them they will be punished severely

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.

thank you Pam

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. 

it's fun to invent alternate lives

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. 

a reminder of Angie's back yard in Harrison

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. 

every single bit of it

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. 

plans, ideas, dreams, to look forward to

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. 

the world is ready for you

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.

so glad I didn't listen to my sensible self

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. 

when the proper season rolls around again

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.

more is more and that is better

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.  

poppy seeds scattered to kingdom come

It crossed my mind as I got ready to cut down the dried poppy's last week, that seeds should be harvested. In case my sisters want/need some.   

This year, in addition to those nice, big, deep red blooms, there were lighter pinkish ones, and some red and white ones with ruffled edges. Swoon.    

I can't wait to see how they come in next year. More seeds will be sprinkled, very early in spring, but most of these should come back again next year, usually heartier after a few years in the same spot - undisturbed. 

So I cut the stems, shook them over a box, and seeds came out like crazy. They were then funneled into little bottles because whats not to like about a little bottle full of poppy seeds.

While I wait to send them on their journeys I enjoy looking at them on my table, along with some other collections. I will ask myself why I did not seal them into envelopes the minute I collected them as soon as I accidentally flip this tray over one morning and have poppy seeds scattered to kingdom come. But for now....

my front porch is destined to be a robin nursery

While checking out the oak leaf hydrangea this week

which by the way, is having a banner year

I happened to notice that the robin nest, that I took down several weeks ago, and filled with shells, 

has in fact, been replaced with an almost exact duplicate (if perhaps a bit more crooked) version of itself, in precisely the same spot as nest #1.

I guess my front porch is destined to be a robin nursery. With a plentiful supply of worms nearby, and one successful launching from the nest, I guess it was destined to happen. I was amazed at the speed with which the nest was built. One day it was not there, the next it was completed. 

P.S. I saw a brown thrasher the other day. I, along with the rest of the world, have turned into a bird watcher. I downloaded the Audubon app on my phone and have been delighted with this new found ability to figure out what I am seeing. 

peony season can be extended a bit

I splurged and bought a couple of bouquets at the farmers market Saturday. The first one features peonies and allium along with scented geranium foliage.

The color of the peonies reminds me of a delicate pink buttercream frosting. I love how they look in all the different patterns of light throughout the day. 

Bouquet number 2 is peony buds that have been cut and refrigerated. I cut an inch or so off the bottom and popped them in a vase and they open pretty quickly.

I do love that peony season can be extended a bit thanks to refrigeration, Karen Pendleton, and the Lawrence Farmers market.

they look good all the time

The pots on the back sitting area at Tall Tales headquarters were properly "filled up" recently. It started with a 45 minute shopping appointment at a Kansas City nursery that has a varied assortment of succulents. Including some more unusual specimens.

I really appreciated that they limited the numbers of people who could be in the place at one time, required a mask, and had signage to encourage proper distancing at the check outs etc. 

As you can see, I had no trouble finding everything I needed and then some.

I also brought out 5 of the little pots I wintered over, to add them back to this year's pots. 

Sister and I love to go to nursery's, botanical gardens, etc... when we travel. I am always so jealous that she can buy whatever she wants to bring back to her home, so I really had a great time making my selections. I was especially happy to find the Kalanchoe "flapjacks" with the red edges above along with a fairly large "sticks on fire".

This year I took care not to put in specimens that will completely take over a pot... I sure hope that "string of pearls does well  and spills over the edge of the pot below. 

That bright lime crassula sunset jade also made me really happy.  I will certainly be wintering over some of that. All the jade plants from last year are on my front porch and did great over the winter.

I plan to provide regular updates of the progress of these pots. 

If succulents aren't your thing, you can fast forward. But seriously, doesn't everyone LOVE succulents these days? They are so easy, tolerate the sun, require little attention, are interesting to look at with all the different colors and textures, are much more widely available locally than they used to be, and finally the very top reason... they look good all the time. I hope I didn't just jinx myself. 

P.S. I will appreciate your suggestions for your favorite flowering vine that will do well in a pot in a spot that gets sun from about 11am until sunset everyday. 

from Jeannette Sclar many moons ago

Memorial Day poppies burst upon the scene in the back garden the other day. These are volunteers that re-seeded from last year.

What I have learned about poppies, is that the longer they are in a place, the more they settle in...



...and the better they do.

From the looks of it, there will be a few more blooms on this plant.

But seriously, it there are only two, won't these two be so enough?

The original seeds from these poppies came from Jeannette Sclar, many moons ago. I have spread some around when I cut down the dried pods each year but I never deliberately put any here.  Apparently the birds (or the wind) knew this would be a good spot.  

"closed for spraying"

The rain did not stop me from my appointed rounds at Loose Park recently. I am pretty sure that I have been here in the rain before and for sure I will come in the rain again.

When I arrived I noticed a sign that said the rose garden was closed. I felt certain they meant for everyone BUT me. To be sure though I walked around to the opposite side.

Sure enough, there was a sign on that side that said "closed for spraying". 

Except it was raining, and no one was spraying, and in small print it said "if you are from Lawrence Kansas and you see no reason not to come right in, please do so".

So I did.

The rest of the park was lovely as well.  Nary a soul did I see on my ramble. 

To say it was splendid does not quite capture the feeling, but you get the idea.

I picked up the scissors on my table and did some "air snipping"

Last week on a Prairie Makers Zoom gathering, I might have asked Pam how her peonies were doing.

She let me know they were in full bloom and that she had an abundance.

"Pink, white, and the deeper fuchsia colors" ...

At this point I think I picked up the scissors on my table and did some "air snipping". 

She let me know I could come by and get some.

So I did. 

I got to meet Scout. That's the one giving me the stink-eye. 

Spectacular color.

Divine fragrance. 

Such perfect flowers.

Thank you Pam!!!

contradiction is my middle name

Over the years I have become a bigger and bigger fan of Columbine. It's one of the faithful returnee's to the garden. I am especially fond of these colors in the blue-ish/purple range. They do quite well in the shade with just a touch of sun in the early morning. 

I know those directly above are not Columbine. I think they are Brunnera Jack Frost. The flowers are blue though, and I have developed a fondness for groupings of flowers that are similar in color. It seems restful to me.

Except when it comes to Zinnia's.  Zinnias should be all colors of the rainbow, all together, the more the merrier.

Clearly, contradiction is my middle name. 

if you're lucky it will come back again next year

There are some amazing things happening out in the garden right now.  Starting with these big, bold, oriental poppies.

These lilac bushes have been written off every single year since they were planted but for some reason I haven't moved them yet. But hey, hold on, this year they did produce some blooms. Fragrant ones. Does this mean there is a chance they are starting to like this spot?

My rose bushes are coming along well, saved from an outbreak/infestation of aphids by a few drops of dawn soap in a spray bottle. A good thorough spraying every other day for a week took care of it. 

I am looking forward to a harvesting roses for a few weeks. Placing them in small bottles & vases all around the house, until it gets too hot. And they stop blooming. But that's the way of the Kansas garden. Enjoy it while you can, if you're lucky it will come back again next year.

And sometimes, as in the case of these Iris from Angie's garden in Arkansas, they will multiply and spread, and remain reliable for many years.

sweet, funny, a little madcap...

In case you are interested, incubation continues on the front porch of Tall Tales headquarters. The porch has been divided and agreements signed. Chris and I stay away from the nest, the robin avoids the rocking chairs, especially at cocktail time. 

The Japanese maple turned on the charm overnight this past weekend. It's just splendid. 

A Japanese maple leaf in the right light is just about one of the most beautiful things there is. Amen to a whole lot of beauty right now. 

The oak leaf hydrangea is pushing out new leaves like nobody's business. I think the maple and it are competing for some kind of award. 

Out back this statue from Angie's garden stands guard over a small bunch of tulips that were planted way back in 2008. I don't know why they have not been eaten by squirrels or how they keep performing when most of the rest that I have planted over the years have stopped. I am grateful. 

By the way, we did end up watching Harvey on Easter. Just the kind of viewing needed during Coronavirus times. Sweet, funny, a little madcap, and of course it's got Jimmy Stewart in it.  What more needs to be said?

 

is doing "good enough" ok for these times?

Chris and I feel very fortunate to live where we can easily walk outside, in relative isolation, and admire the arrival of spring.

As we walk it's easy to forget what's going on, until I reach to touch something and Chris says "I wouldn't do that"... and I wonder if he's being too cautious, or am I being too lax?  

Flowers, sun, color, fresh air, the whole of it; a balm for things that are troubling. 

Tomorrow I will be working from home for the first time.  It likely won't be different from working from my office, but it feels different. I won't be able to just run up to a unit if I feel like someone needs me.

What I am struggling with is that I know what we are doing right now, using Telehealth, is maybe not doing the very best I am capable of in person. At the same time, understanding that we must be cautious, and maybe doing "good enough" is ok for these times. All of this against a backdrop of knowing we MUST preserve PPE for the most vital staff members. These are the thoughts in my head tonight.

On a positive note, I was able to address all the technology "stuff" required to work from home. With only 2 calls to the hospital help desk. Plus a bit of sweating and some nervous laughter that turned into a full throttle guffaw.

one more sunny day

About 11 days ago, I collected what I was certain was the last bouquet of zinnia's for the season. A perfect collection of random colors that blend together like this was all planned.

Then 5 days ago I went out to "freshen things up" by adding a few new blooms and collected enough for another whole vase of flowers. 

Sage, rosemary, and mint were added as fillers.  They also smell wonderful.  

I almost just made the mistake of saying again, that this was my last bouquet of zinnias. But since I still have one final area that has yet to be cut down.  I shall refrain. This is Kansas after all.  Where the weather changes at the drop of a hat, and one more sunny day could bring about something unexpected.  

in all their tiny collectiveness

Part of putting the garden to bed this year was the decision to snap off a few pieces of succulents to use in next year's pots. Even though I have tried this before with geraniums and never succeeded, hope springs eternal.

Some of them were so cute, and would fit in a window sill, so why not?

There was also the two tiny pots (thanks James and Cori) I had that were made for teeny succulents,

and the other ones I found while on a birthday present buying mission, that were simply irresistible.  

Pots above can be found at J'Adore in Brookside (along with many other delights - you have been warned). 

As with all things gardening related, some are sure to fail and others will survive.  They sure look cute all together today though. In all their tiny collectiveness.

a case of stem canker

The 2019 front porch geraniums are going down in history as my best ever. That I can remember.

They continue to bloom profusely, with green leaves in defiance of the heat.  

In the name of giving credit where credit is due, they are from Pendletons Market, and you can't go wrong when you start with locally grown flowers.

I have also (finally) learned not to overwater, even though it's so hard not to believe they need extra drinks when it's terribly hot.  

It's important to focus on garden successes, especially when it's been a season where the weeping cherry that we put in several years ago died suddenly, AND the "tree guy" told us yesterday that the junipers out back appear to have contracted a case of stem canker. Which means they are dying and will need to come out too.  

We are thinking about a weeping redbud when the cherry gets replaced. If any of my midwestern gardener friends have ideas for other small, native, decorative trees I would love to hear your thoughts.