Here at the Midnight Garden, it's all about the Garden.
Except in the last few days, there's been some kind of convergence of petty annoyance, worry, genuinely stressy moments, busy work times, heat and humidity, seasoned with a dash of the oddness that only comes from living on the Cape this time of year.
Really, I only mention it here to say that sometimes, you really need to have a garden handy into which you may escape. Sometimes, it's the only place you can really think clearly.
Not quite so this morning, however, when we learned...somewhere just after 6:30...that a street sweeping operation had come to Not Wisteria Lane and decided to idle for fifteen minutes or so right out in front of our place. Boy, is that a clean patch of pavement.
Perhaps he had to take a cel call, or was refilling a coffee from his Thermos, or maybe he was some government shill sent to scope out the neighborhood and spy on one or another of us.
Anyway, it was not the most relaxing way to start the day. But look how well my plan to grow a garden that creates a wall to screen us a little from the street is working!
And I was not alone in this assessment of things.
As I was came out the door with coffee in hand, this bunny (the first nibbler of last spring, I believe, the one who grew so round and prosperous on my crocuses and early tulips...not that I'm bitter or anything) came dashing away from the driveway, as startled as the rest of the neighborhood at the arrival of this loud, swishing, splashing splendid yellow street sweeper.
He settled down enough to tuck into a clump of asters on the far side of the veggie patch, though. I don't really mind that so much; the asters don't bloom 'til late in the season, so all he's really doing there is pruning the plant back, so it will be lower and bushier when it does blooms.
Since this is a Look I like in asters, please allow me to point out that I've now tricked him into working for me!
Morning saw the opening of that yellow Chrysler rose bud, a beautiful sight indeed framed by allyssum, with some orange marigolds for contrast.
The other rose bush which pre-existed the garden here, has produced a first pink bud, with more clustered around to follow.
In the house, the Gardener's Cat wasn't up to anything at all. Really. He was just sitting in the sunshine, posing beside the Easter cactus. Not at all thinking about eating it or any other nearby.
Some of the recent drama resulted of concern for the cat's big sister, Em's well-being. Our Girl ended up with an appointment at the vets this afternoon, never a favorite activity of hers, though.
I'm sure she will already think it's too indiscreet of me to say she seems to have a urinary tract infection, without my delving into the way we discovered this. She also got her nails trimmed while she was there, no small feat.
The evening ended well, though. We found some nice breezes while sitting out on the lawn and we celebrated the day's successes with a bacon and pineapple pizza from Dominos. We just love that whole online Pizza Tracker thing.
You'll forgive me if I continue to bore you with the snapdragons, but they've really begun to bloom more heavily now and I would hate for you to miss them.
In addition to the snapdragons, assorted other things are continuing to grow larger all the time.
This evening I spotted the first bachelor button flowerhead forming. And in various locations along the border, the first cleome seedlings have reached blooming height and begun to form some buds.
As they bloom they'll continue climbing toward the sky, their stalks waving back and forth on the breezes.
Almost all of the coreopsis plants have at least a few of these little yellow flowers.
They're pretty cheery and bright, and will continue to bloom more or less all summer long, provided I remember to keep them deadheaded.
By the by, it seems I'm not the only one with Stuff going on lately, so I've tucked a few extra purple flowers into today's post to send some good energy out there into the Universe to give us all a little extra strength.
11 comments:
Hi!
I just came across your blog as I was blog-hopping, and as a fellow gardener (though not nearly as accomplished as yourself,) I am intrigued! I love the part of this post where you said, "...sometimes, you really need to have a garden handy into which you may escape..." That is SO TRUE for me too! There is no tranquility equal to that which can be found in a garden!
Melba
As a government employee, you'd be surprised by how much spying I do. ;-) I came across the street sweepers myself one time when they idled nearby. But upon further investigation, they were actually filling the sweeper with water from the nearby fire hydrant. Not certain if there are hydrants on the Cape, but perhaps that's what was happening? You can go on and on about snapdragons. They're one of my fav's. I wish we had more bunnies around.
Your cat is beautiful! I hope she feels better soon.
Of course the flowers are beautiful, too, but we expect that from flowers, don't we?
Greg, there is something so slow and luxurious about this post that it makes me feel like I'm floating on a cloud right past the garden, from that magnificently photographed knotted hose to the bunny, past wonderful the Chrysler Rose (God, I wish I could bury my nose in that thing all day) to the flowers at the very bottom of the page (whose names I promise to learn some day!).
Thank you, thank you, thank for the lazy trip around the garden. Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting all that purple out in the universe (we all need as much of it as we can get!). It was wonderful trip in every way.
Maybe bunny will develop an incorrigible and exclusive craving for aster greens. Like the one I've just developed for bacon and pineapple pizza.
Coreopsis can be striking - little drops of sunshine. Thanks, too, for the purple. I needed some purple this morning.
Melba--welcome; glad you stumbled into the garden! Hope you'll come back anytime!!
Afod, this is interesting. Perhaps you will share more of these spying adventures with us in the future. There's no hydrant there, though we do have them hereabouts.
Java, he IS a beautiful kitty, isn't he? He's doing quite well, I'm happy to say...it was his big sister Em who visited the vet and is also doing very nicely. In fact, we're told she has the bloodwork results of a dog half her age!
Curt, that Chrysler rose would treat your nose very kindly, indeed! Glad you enjoyed today's visit...the names of the flowers, like those of good friends, come to you over time, through experience.
Joe, nothing too exclusive or too incorrigible, though: I like to see some asters bloom come fall, and there is more to cuisine than bacon and pineapple (though, while it the thick of it, it's hard to imagine just What...)!
Dear Greg, I needed this post today. You aptly described my life of late when you said:
"Except in the last few days, there's been some kind of convergence of petty annoyance, worry, genuinely stressy moments, busy work times, heat and humidity, seasoned with a dash of the oddness...."
Only I don't live on the Cape, but still it has been some weird energy lately, waaaaay too much work, too many demands, too much and too often... LOL So I felt really happy when I read this post. LOL Not that I wish that on you, mind you, BUT it did make me feel less alone in my wacky last 3 weeks!!! LOL :) :)
This yellow rose with the white allyssum and orange marigold it mind blowing. What a stunning combination of color. It makes me feel like I want to ear it. LOL Maybe my ancestors are related to the bunny in your yard. I am glad you let him be there. Poor things are losing their habitat all over the globe, PLUS...I'm sure your garden (from what we see here) is not only appealing to me but is to him as well!!! ALSO....:)...what is that lovely violet or purple colored flower? It is gorgeous!
Robin, while I'm sorry to hear your life's been a little out of whack lately, I think we all take comfort from knowing we aren't alone in such times! Hope the purple flowers helped!!
Now that we've come to an understanding (don't eat the expensive things!!), I'm very happy to have the bunnies in the yard, for exactly the reasons you mention!
Which purple flower are you asking about? The last one in the post is the clematis, but the big photo about midway through the post - with the tiny starry flowers - is a complete mystery to me. Some small wildflower, perhaps a species version of some loosestrife or veronica or something.
Even tho I didn't know its name, it was too lovely to leave behind when we moved.
Well there's the P-I-Z-Z-A girl and what a beauty she is. Your kitty is so regal looking poised for that picture. The bunnies are getting used to you and your lovely Midnight Garden.
What a well-fed bunny...looks like you pay your gardening assistants well! I hope you share the cleome blooms when they open. I'm right in there with your sense of anticipation.
That's her, all right, Butch...Queen of the house (we used to try contesting the title, but really, it's hers). And the young Prince, well he survives in the court at her pleasure...and through the fact he blends so well into the shadows.
I do pay them well, don't I, Lost?
The cleome are driving me crazy with anticipation. Each morning they are a smidge more purple, but still as yet not actually blooming. Perhaps on Saturday.
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