Summer Daze

The verbena bonariensis just keeps on blooming and blooming. This plant is a wonderful staple for the garden and I just can't recommend it to you strongly enough.

I've cut a little for a bouquet or two, and had to trim off a flowerhead that had been damaged...but that has only caused side shoots to begin blooming. The rest of the flowerheads just continue on and on, producing ever more of these tiny purple flowers. And there's just nothing at all wrong with that. Plus the butterflies love them.


These purple pansies are continuing to bloom regularly and their cheery faces never fail to make me grin. For that alone, I'm grateful that they are continuing to bloom, nestled amongst the neighboring overgrowth of allyssum.


The lamp post garden is doing well, despite not being in the zone serviced by the soaker hose. There's a whole lot to see here, starting on the far left with yet another sunflower climbing toward the heavens.

Moving right, there's shasta daisies, allyssum, down low is a slight flush of pink in the form of some sedum only just coming into bloom, and further back is a yellow african marigold.

In the background there's some corn...and more sunflowers...and then this massive cloud of morning glories where there once was a fence post. All the way right are yet a few more sunflowers and the morning glories are just beginning to reach out to twine themselves around these latest tall stalks.



Speaking of the sunflowers, here's yet another cheery flower from one of those first plants who began growing on my bedroom windowsill way back on the first of April.



In talking about things that were steadily blooming yesterday, I may have done a few of my favorite plants a dis-service, including the dianthus. While they are not blooming as heavily as they did early on in spring, they are continuing to offer a some color down low, where it is quite welcome.

Additionally, the loosestrife continues to put out its tiny star-like flowers. I'm a little sorry to have discovered this plant's identity, as I became quite fond of it before realizing it was the dreaded invader.

Here it shares the stage with one of the legion of bachelor's buttons blooming all along the border.





There are several lychnis plants along the fence as well, which have continued to bloom steadily throughout the summer, moreso when I remember to snip off the faded flowerheads.


Badum is a pretty good natured kitty. He generally spends his life alternating between the pretense of a sedentary lifestyle, and tearing from one window in the house to the next. No doubt, the regular parade of chipmunks, birds, bunnies, wild turkeys and who-knows-what-else through the yard keeps him happily occupied with plenty to watch.

This afternoon I happened upon the gardener's cat peering out the window. "Hey, buddy, what you lookin' at?" was met with the withering feline disdain no other species can quite muster, as if to say, "It's cat stuff. I wouldn't expect you to understand. Please don't crowd me at the window."

Of course, it was a little finch foraging in the lawn outside that had his attention. But I concede there were probably also a dozen other things vying for his attention that I couldn't possibly have noticed.

Heaven knows my own attention was challenged today. It was my first full day off in about two weeks, and with such lovely weather (bright and sunny, with temps in the high sixties), the temptation was to let my senses lead me through the day, or maybe just find a patch of sun or shade and settle in with a good page-turner.

Alas, there are other things I really needed to spend some time working on...and so I made my best effort to focus on some of that, spending some time up in the steamy attic, as well as working on other less lovely, but important projects.

But it was the sort of stuff done in small doses, and so I was happy to walk away regularly to explore the garden at different times of the day, playing with the camera as I found new subjects and different angles and the varying lighting effects that an ever-moving sun provides.


This bumbler was happily plundering the remaining blossoms on the agastache during one of my breaks. And while I was out there, I spotted a hummingbird buzzing along the border, exploring and examining the sunflowers and morning glories and corn plants before taking a breather on the power line high above.

I wish the canna lilies would start blooming - they are certainly tall enough now - and I think their red flowers (if indeed they are a red-flowered variety; I realize suddenly that I'm not certain of that.) would be a welcome addition to the garden, as far as attracting hummingbirds.


The Burpee Big Boy tomatoes are beginning to ripen, so I am continuing to hold hope that a tasty and sweet tomato sandwich is in the cards for me sometime real soon.

I ended up getting a fair amount accomplished today, in between exploration breaks, and so I felt the deep nap I stumbled into at the end of the afternoon was well-deserved.

It also allowed me to miss the newstime spoiler reports of the latest event results from the Olympics. Not knowing how things will turn out always makes watching a little more interesting, I think.

The BMX races are postponed this evening, due to rain in Beijing, which is a shame, because I'm just fascinated by them...and the crazy course the races are run upon. To me, it's quite similar to the moguls skiing events of the Winter Games--it looks sort of painful and wild, but I just can't look away!

Meanwhile, there's been some gymnastic exhibitions. Everyone always performs so nicely when the pressure of competition has lifted a little. Just amazing performances there.

I'd sort of hoped that the rain delay on the BMX might've opened up some primetime space for the kayaking/canoe events, but I suppose that isn't the sort of big ticket thing you broadcast in the evening. I'll have to look online for that.

But also tonight, platform diving! Talk about crazy...I think I may once have jumped (I hesitate to use the word "dive" during this Olympic week, when it is clear I am not worthy to associate with the word) from a high diving board back during childhood swim lessons, but knowing my irrational fear of heights, it's also entirely possible that I just climbed back down instead. And in any event, it wasn't nearly as tall as what they are diving so gracefully from!!

Oh, and what a fantastic way to end the evening's post: Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor just locked up another gold medal for the USA in the arena of Women's Beach Volleyball!!

By the way, I have been remiss in making a recommendation: if you, like me, are enjoying submerging yourself in this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing, you may enjoy visiting TR over at From the Faraway Nearby. Tim's working the games over in Beijing, and his experiences in the city have been a fascinating and fun counterpoint to the television coverage. His blog has been one of my favorite new discoveries this summer.

By all means, check it out!

Tuesday's Trials

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.

Seeds For Tomorrow

Mother Nature's being quite kind to us this week, a nice payback for those cold gray days of winter.

Yesterday before work, I boiled down some jalapenos to make a spicy spray to coat the remaining crocuses, daffodils and such, in hopes of warding off the Nibblers, whomever they may be. Before applying that, I watered the garden border for the first time this spring...since its suddenly been a little while since it rained last.

I also spread some allyssum seeds along the front edges of the the border and got those watered in. I will probably get a few seedlings at the nursery, anyway, 'cause I just don't think you can have enough of the stuff. But, I also used the allyssum seeds primarily around where the crocuses have come, as a way of marking their location for my reference later in the season...like when I want to plant other bulbs in the same area.

Here's the Little King lounging in the laundry room yesterday. I sort of set this up, by putting an old throw pillow in my now- chocolate-free Easter basket.

It didn't take him long at all to find the comfort in it. The laundry room has many windows, so its a favorite bird watching spot for Agent LaChat.

I've recently spotted (as I'm sure he has, as well)the first goldfinches of the season out in the apple tree, and hope to also hang out some orange halves, as the orioles should be arriving shortly. And this weekend I really MUST get that big bird bath set up.


Today was a day off, and also reason for cele bration as we had a handyman visit this morning to replace the defective valve which decides when and if we get hot water. Since it has recently been deciding against our having hot water, this is terribly good news.

As a bonus, I spent the day with Mom and Dad, touring around Route 28, visiting various stores and shops, having lunch and enjoying one another's company some more.

As a garden-warming present, they bought me a new watering can and some packets of seeds for the season ahead. I also priced soaker hoses at assorted locations and found one for $6.99 at the Christmas Tree Shop(of course!), and also picked up a few more packets of seeds.

I'm waiting on the appearance of assorted lilies before I'll lay out the soaker hose, so I can arrange it properly without accidentally digging up anything important. I'm sure it'll be the most efficient way to keep this full-sun garden well-watered this summer.

As for those seeds, I'll be working with Morning Glories (in assorted colors), Bachelor Buttons (in what appears to be a matching color assortment), some California Giant Zinnias (the same species I photographed last fall in another gardener's plot), purple Cleome, some Seashell Cosmos, and also some German chamomile.

Most of these can be direct sown into the garden, but not for a while yet(last frost the last few years has come right around Memorial Day for us). I think I'll start some cleome seedlings to give some of them a headstart...and the same with the morning glories. In advance of that, and a new planting of sunflower seeds I've got in mind, I sat down tonight and made two new trays full of paper pots, which I'll get planted in the next day or so.

I've also now transplanted all the sunflower seedlings from the first planting into larger pots and my south-facing bedroom window is becoming quite full.

Oh, check this out:

This fabulous blossom caught my eye yesterday morning in the bleeding heart bush.

It took only a split-second to realize this was no bleeding heart flower, though, but a clever ruse planted by my Loving Other Half as a surprise. His long history of practical jokes includes having wired fake flowers onto roses finished blooming to fool Provincetown tourists, back when he lived on Commercial Street, so I wasn't a bit surprised. But I did get a good laugh...and those are always welcome in the garden.

You can see there'll be no shortage of real bleeding heart blooms in a very short time, from all the bud clusters pinking up. For now, though, I've left this Fool's Flower of April to play with anyone else who happens by.

Plant Inspector

Another sunny day today. Temperatures still in the mid-thirties and pretty breezy, but the sun was awfully nice. Still, it was also a nice day to check in with the houseplants in my bedroom window.

As you can see, Badum's gotten there ahead of me. T'was the great flights and songs of birds outside the window that brought him here, but the budding apple branches I've got in water drew his attention. Note the height on the canna lily. I'm not that familiar with these guys, but I wouldn't be surprised if it starts blooming before long.

In the lower right of the window is an Easter cactus, which I guess was blooming when I bought it back eleven years ago this spring. But I can't for the life of me remember what color the flowers were. Orange, perhaps?

First Kitty of Spring

I hope everyone had a terrific weekend. I'm glad to say that I've heard the egg hunt made the chaos of the Easter Brunch Buffet a lot more fun...mission accomplished!

In other news, Aunt Pat sent these photos of her cat, Oreo, whom she caught lounging in a basket of daffodils during this first weekend of spring.

Most of the time, kitties really have the right idea, don't they?





Of course, as much as I say the word "spring", I can't get the temperature this morning to rise about 31 degrees! So for everyone who's wishing spring would just hurry up already, check out this garden. Click your mouse on the black field: you can plant in tidy rows, or just create a garden overflowing with colorful chaos!

Enjoy!

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter and Blessed Spring from us here on Not Wisteria Lane, to all of you!

I was up in time to hear the early morning drumming of the downy woodpecker who likes to bang against the outside of the computer area almost every day.

It's a pretty cool sound, though you can put easy money on it totally firing up the cat each morning. After a minute or two of just enjoying his rhythms, I snuck out the front door and was able to reach my camera hand around the arbor vitae to catch this shot of him before he flew off.

Here we go: this never fails. Each spring, I'm keeping an eye on 10 million different clusters of crocus foliage, trying to guess where the first blossom will appear.

And every year, the first flower comes from some spot I wasn't even watching. Here's our first Purple Pretty, springing from a clump of shasta daisy foliage this morning.

Here's the bunnies Owen and I surprised one another with this morning, each of them as different as we two. Mine to him is the cute, cuddly guy with the carrot and the plaid bowtie. His to me was this little thug-bunny with the bling and the colors. Heh heh...he even sings a bit of "In Da Club" (Go shorty, it's yer birthday...) when you squeeze his paw. Quite a pair, aren't we...er, they?

I shouldn't be surprised that Em's been a little wistful around the empty rabbit cage lately. There's no reason why she shouldn't be missing George. We all are, especially on his big holiday.

So far, we've been successful in resisting the temptation to fill his void with some new little bunny, or a pair of chicks or a duck (oh, how Badum would love that...)or something even less predictable.

Better to focus on the kids we have already...especially since our boy Badum seems to have a renewed spirit of adventure, having escaped twice into the Great Outdoors this past week. Fortunately, the bird-filled skies just mesmerize this kitty and he's fairly easy to corral.

I had my own celebration of spring today with a bit of yard work, getting the front lawn raked and assorted shrubs at the front of the house pruned into tidy shape for the coming season. When that was through, I tackled the years of old dried foliage of past seasons that had built up on the lump of a hill in our backyard which houses the septic system.

There's all kinds of things growing there...looks like asters and goldenrod and some daisy variety, as well as something that may be russian sage or something similar. Clearing away all the old stuff opened up all the green clumps of foliage underneath and hopefully they'll grow better for the exposure.

Since being atop the hill (I call it Mount Dump-it) affords full views of the neighbors' yards and the similar lumps in their own backyards, working up there afforded me the chance to meet another of our neighbors. They are quite happy to see someone taking an interest in making things look better, which is encouraging. Of course having neighbors to talk to at all while I'm at assorted chores is still a new thing.


Hey, look what happens to your shoelace when you don't realize it's become untied while you're raking! Fortunately, this is last year's pair, dedicated now only to gardening.

I started pruning some of the unnecessary branches from the long-untended apple tree, as well, but the remainder of that project remains for another day and a greater variety of tools than my hand pruners.

However, I did bring in a few branches to see if I can force some blooms from them.
They'll be a nice foil to the african violet, which as you can see is also helping to move the whole Spring Thing along.

In yet another sign of the changing season, did you know that yesterday was National Pillow Fight Day? I had no idea--you should totally check out the video at JMG and watch those feathers fly!

Friday This and That

This nose never fails to bring me a little joy. Whether Em's pushing me to get out of bed and let her out, or pushing me off the couch she wants on the couch, asking for another cookie or just coming over to say hi while we're outside exploring the yard, she can always get a smile out of me.

Em's little brother, Badum, is the same. He's an agreeable dude who can usually be found lying around the house on his back, showing his belly to anyone who will rub it, or looking at the window at the birds (or Sophie, the little dog across the street) or, alternately, tearing around the house like a lunatic. From his big sis, Badum has also been learning some tricks about "requesting" treats when the mood strikes him.

The two of them always put on a show of competition when we're home, vying for our attentions or the snuggliest place nearby. Despite their sibling rivalries, we've also caught them curled up together a few times...so we know they get along well, and probably order up pay-per-view movies together when we're both at work.

Together, they make our lives a little sweeter and definitely more amusing.

On the way from the bank to work today, I discovered that the annual spring show at what I call the Daffodil House on Rock Harbor road had begun, with a few early season daffodils, and couldn't resist stopping for a closer look. I've taken pictures here before (once I get around to tagging all my old entries, you'll be able to find them in the archives...)



The owners of this place may be fans of the musical Brigadoon, if the heather on the hill by their driveway is any indication.

The first half of the day was really quite delightful, bright and sunny with temperatures soaring to around the 50 degree mark.


Clouds were filling the sky at the far end of the day, as we prepare for another rainy weekend. Here's a couple shots of Cape Cod Bay I took from Skaket Beach in Orleans, after I left work, assuming this was the closest we'd get to an actual sunset.

However, the sky changed a little as I made my way back to Harwich, enough that I was able to capture this glimmer of orange to the west, as seen from another beach parking lot.

Have a great weekend, everyone.