Flowers inside and out

Sarah and Eric returned from a trip upstate to spend a couple of days. On Sunday I had Sarah's help planting all flowers we bought last week. These are a few of the additions to the perennial beds.

A Chaenomeles (flowering quince called Cameo)...and a new sedum variety called Voodoo amidst a circle of ajuga that's just getting started for the year.
a new Spirea called 'mellow yellow' right in the center of mass of Lamium.

Finishing the shade garden that I started last year....in front two kinds of Epimedium: white queen and pink elf. Next row, Heuchera (coral bells) and behind them, Tiarella (bottle brush). There are also Japanese Painted Ferns and Astilbe and Hostas that are just coming up.

Now to update the flower map. I keep a detailed schematic of all of the plantings so I know where to look for things as they come up in the spring.

And finally a leg of lamb dinner with a centerpiece Sarah put together with some prunings from the Magnolia that we watched open into full flower as the day progressed.

Happy Earth Day!

Power to the Sun!

The False Friend

The False Friend by Myla Goldberg was the book club selection this month. I really liked the book. Not everyone in our group did. I guess we were split about 50/50.

I loved her perceptive description of how our 'adult selves' become adolescent again when we return to our family. Her description of the parent/adult child relationship is well done.

I also loved the way that her memories of the past and one incident in particular were reviewed, researched and altered as she sought out those from childhood to confirm what she thought was true.

Take your time if you read this. It's an interesting and thoughtful book.

Next month: Three Stages of Amazement by Carol Edgarian

Let the planting begin!

Sarah and I took a road trip out to Atlantic Nurseries in Dix Hills this morning and this is just part of my haul:

Pansies...I know they're annuals...but they were just so pretty!

From Left: Chaenomeles speciosa "cameo"(flowering quince) , Spiraea thunbergii 'ogon', hydrangea "Tokyo delight", hydrangea paniculata "little lamb",ivy, 2 pink clematis and a new hellebore: Ivory Prince.

And finally, several new irises, Epimedium Grandiflorum:white queen, Epimedium: pink elf, tiarella timbuktu (bottle brush), Stonecrop sedum, and asarum canadense (wild ginger) which I've been trying to find for ages. Also tulips and some new lavender plants to replace the ones that I had to remove after 12 years.

Sarah got some plants for the shop and some for her front stoop garden. AND...we fit it all in the back of my Prius!

Helleborous and Pulsatilla vulgaris

Hellebores popping way up in the garden this week. Also called the Lenten or Christmas Rose...they are here in plenty of time for Lent.

Then peeking out behind the hellebore (see her tiny blue head above) I found this little beauty the other day. She was in full bloom, with a bright yellow center but now she's moping about the rain!

Lots coming up in the garden now!

Spring basket

These blue babies are on their way to Atlanta in a box of sweet treats for Jessica. This won't ruin the surprise....she doesn't read my blog. Though if she did, she know a lot more about what's going on up north!

it's official

When the weather gets warm enough to clean up the porch from the winter and sit outside with a coffee, spring is officially here!
















Got my gardens all cleaned up too. Just so Rae Kwan could enjoy the dirt.

I want to join....

Clarisse and my potential tomato plants today...and just lay in the sun.

But instead, I'm going out to see about getting this chair restored. This was a wedding gift to my grandparents, Wallace and Susie and I think it still has lots of good years left in it! It's also a very comfortable rocker.
So here are Wally and Susie. They were married on January 1, 1912. I never met Susie. She died in 1945. But that is where my name comes from. I remember my grandpa quite well. He died in 1960 when I was 12 and he looks amazingly like my brother!

I wish I knew who gave them the rocker.

a litte extra time and lots of soap

This is "family soap." Soap ends that are cut from the ends of our soap logs.
Can't wrap them to sell. We use it ourselves, give it to friends. We box it up and donate boxes to shelters and the local food pantry.

But...they still seems to multiply like they were coming from a magic pot.

So the other day I made these favors to give to friends when I entertained. A soap dish in the bottom of the bag....a stack of soap in pretty earthy colors all tied up with a string and a label on the bottom telling what kind of soap was in the stack

April 2, 2011

Time to plant tomatoes. Last year I planted to early (Feb.) This year I'm a bit late. First the seeds go into the peat pots.

Then into a make shift green house until they sprout.

Then out of the bag and into sunlight.

BTW....Yesterday Pentti and I celebrated 31 years of marriage. I looked all afternoon for the snapshot of our wedding. Sarah wanted to see it. I came across it a sometime last year...but who knows where it is now. Maybe next year.

Yes, we just have a snapshot. We were married by a justice of the peace with one witness. My friend Lorraine has always joked that she was both our matron of honor AND our best man!