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Clematis In My Garden

Your home has a lovely entrance way.

I really like clematis.  It is one of the few non-producing plants I have in my yard.  You can't eat it, it doesn't have a fragrant scent, and the blooms are not conducive to flower arrangements.  They are, however, very adept at climbing things like mailboxes and trellises. The star like flowers are strikingly beautiful and abundant.  My Granny always has a clematis in her garden, so I keep one for sentimental reasons. 


My clematis is in the corner of my herb garden where the garage meets the shed.  It's been there for two years and is doing very well, although there does seem to be a rectangular gap at the base of the plant where no vines care to grow.  The pine straw beneath this area is tamped down which makes it appear to be an entrance way.  Curiosity demanded a closer inspection, so I carefully crouched down among my delicate herbs to have a good look, and there scratched in the metal of my trellis are crudely written words.  It says "The O'Possums."  Stay tuned to find out more.

Memories and Mysteries

Can you figure out what this is?


When I was between the ages of 3 and 5 my mother would occasionally visit one of our elderly neighbors.  I don't recall her name, or what we did there, but I do remember eating one of the most delicious things I had ever had in my short life.  It was the kind of taste one's palette is so blow away by that you remember the moment your mouth first experience such joy. 

We moved away when I was 5, and I did not have one of these delicacies again for another 23 years. 
Apparently my parents did not share in my enthusiasm for this mystery fruit because the never purchased one or mentioned them in all that time.  I thought about the taste over the years, but I had no idea what I had eaten.  The grocery stores I frequented didn't often vary their stock, so I was limited in what I was able to try. 

I moved to Roanoke, VA when I was 28 and it changed my life.  One day while shopping in the local Kroger I noticed something new and different in the produce department.  The sight of this delicate, greenish, teardrop shaped fruit stirred something in me.  Grocery budget be damned I had to have some of these.  When I arrived home I immediately released my purchase from its protective plastic box.  The soft yielding flesh further encouraged me that I had at last found the taste of a childhood memory.  I cut it in half and revealed the pleasantly repulsive insides which resemble something between guts and a flower.  In the first bite I felt the release of a childhood longing.  Something I had been searching for all my life, a sweet connection to my past.  The delicious fig.

Bird On A Wire Make A Difference

What a difference a day makes!

Yesterday

Today

The race for first bloom is over, and the winner is the yellow Sunsprite!  I was almost certain John F. Kennedy would win this one, but the Sunsprite quickly came up from behind and took the first place slot.  The other contestants are doing well, and I hope to have pictures soon.  


Who is making all that noise?

For the past few days I have been hearing the sweet sound of baby birds coming from my neighbors bushes.  There are a lot of robins around, so I just assumed one of the frequent visitors to my lawn had made a nest next door.  Today I was pleased to discover this blackbird diligently feeding the well hidden babies.  I enjoyed watching her dance down the wire which led right to her nest.  Her family is usually quiet, but as she inches down the line their hungry cries intensify.  She was not happy with my presence in the area, but I did manage to get a picture.  I look forward to photographing the babies when they are ready to see the world.

Early Arrivals Relocated

I'm Sorry You Can't Live There Anymore

My butterfly herb garden is very young.  It is full of dill, cilantro, fennel, and parsley that I grew from seeds.  I don't exactly have a "green thumb" yet, so things under my care sometimes require a little more time to get going, if they get going at all.  These plants are small, so they need time to establish themselves before they will be ready for the butterflies.  It seems either the butterflies do not care if their offspring have enough to eat or the baby caterpillars know how to pace themselves against the time it will take for their host plant to provide more leaves. The caterpillar shown in  my post, "Little Things Eat A Lot," has been growing and eating more everyday while my little plant disappears.  I also discovered two more caterpillars getting ready to make quick work of a few other herbs.

Not willing to lose my tender charges so early I decided to evict the caterpillars from their chosen squats.  As cruel as it sounds I just don't want to watch my plants get eaten before they have a chance.  Now all three caterpillars are living in my house safely inside their mesh butterfly tent.  For their dining pleasure I will provide dill from the plants that can spare it.  They are growing fast, so look for more updates on their progress.

Frankly Mr. I Have Had Enough!

I Thought We Were Friends.

The local cat I was once a fan of may have worn out his welcome.  Where I previously appreciated his ability to deter the insidious rats from coming around my house, I now only see his slovenly and disrespectful ways.  I was once willing to allow his occasional deposits in my garden.  And yes, I know this is gross, but I remove them promptly and I was sure that once my plants took over the space he would leave.  On Sunday morning however, I was shocked into shame to discover how kitty had made efforts toward destroying my weakest eggplant. I cannot abide this senseless destruction.

The challenge now is how to quickly and easily make this area unattractive to the cat.  I love cats, and I am not out to hurt him, but as far as I'm concerned it's his business if he wants to take a sniff or two of red pepper powder.  This was actually my neighbors recommendation.  It seems like a logical, inexpensive way to keep the feline at bay. 


Yesterday evening I sprinkled a moderate amount of red pepper powder from my spice cabinet all over the raised bed my foe has taken to wrecking.  Today I can report there were no overnight incidents.  Of course this does not mean he won't come back, and I will need to re dust frequently, but hopefully he will get the message.  Look for an update.

I Can't Beelieve We Made It!

Been Here Before?

This bee spent part of his morning embracing my fence.  He actually looks like he would give a good hug, but that is not something I am willing to try.  It appears his wings are damaged, but he did not hang around for more than an hour.  Once my son and our dog came out to play some of the more cautious creatures headed for calmer havens. 




Looks Like We Made It

When I decided to plant a rose garden I knew I had to have a Knockout Rose.  My neighbor has one and it had blooms on it from April to November!  I put the word out that I was looking for some and about two months ago I acquired a pair from a family friend who no longer wanted them in their yard.  My knowledgeable neighbor warned me the plants would probably go into shock. They were out of the ground for a few days and were in rough shape, but I was happy to have them for free.  My spouse was kind enough to plant them for me and I commenced watering and feeding. I am thrilled to report my two months of dedication have finally paid off and I have new growth!  These bushes are far from being healthy, thriving plants, but I think we are out of the woods.  I look forward to posting pictures of the blooms in the future.


My first tomato flower is getting ready to open.  I was not sure what variety this plant would produce, but I can now say it is not a cherry tomato.  The cherry tomatoes I have seen usually grow in clusters.  I am anxious to see what my other volunteers will produce.  Tomatoes are one of my favorite gifts from the garden, and I am pleased my plants seem to be doing well.