Today's News

Today NBC did quite a long story on the oil leak in the Gulf. This entire affair does have me a bit upset as it appears to have many others upset as well. Why has it been a month with no sight to plugging this killer. Why has BP dragging their feet? The President is taking the blame for not plugging this leak yet. However, I think he's put himself in the hot seat to give BP time to figure something out. That's the impression I got anyway. It does appear that there are a lot of folks out there that are using him as an escape goat; too cowardly to own up to their own stupidity and greed. This seems to have been allowed to run rampart for far too long.

It's about 20 years ago, now, we bought a house in the suburbs of Lancaster. It was a cheaply built, but a pretty little house with a bit of property attached. I especially liked this property because of the 100 year old trees that stood in the boundaries. At the time, it was expensive for us, but we thought well worth it.

As settlement day came closer, we were approached by UGI about running a gas line through our property to the development behind us. They would gladly pay us $1,000 for the use of our property. It was tempting until I found out that they would cut down the largest and most beautiful tree on the property as well as most of the other ones. I changed my mind and told them "no". They would simply have to wait for the road to go through. Those trees supported some of the most beautiful and interesting wildlife, as well as some species of birds I still don't see in my present garden. I would lose all that. To me, those trees were worth well more than a mere $1,000.

How much are those wetlands in Louisiana worth to us...the people of the US? The wildlife it supports? How many species of animals will no longer exist should we allow this fiasco to continue? How are we going to teach our children that we need to take care of our planet for it to take care of us? Is this the kind of example we want them to learn by? Is putting up with the greed and false PR from folks who really don't care something we want them to use as roll models?

All those millions of dollars spent to clean up this mess, once the "powers to be" decide to finally clean it up, could have been spent on alternative energy that is clean and doesn't involve destroying the earth and those who live on it.

Our President stood before us today and accepted the blame for all of this. He said it was his job and that "the buck stops here." Personally, I think he is trying to do his best against odds that are overwhelming and against greed and deceit that has been rampart for a very long time. Maybe he'll be gone with the next election, maybe he'll be able to turn things around. But in all honesty, I think he is really trying to climb a mountain without supports. And he seems to be getting none. He came into office with a promise. A promise he seems to want to keep. A promise he may not be able to keep. But, he's been the most honest president we've had in ages.

When we built this house, we built it in a farmer's field. This was a place where the deer rested and the field birds flourished. When we moved in, I started planting trees. To date, I have 65 trees on my little property. It's home to numerous birds, both forest and field. The deer wander through it as do other creatures such as Snapping turtles, snakes and fox. Most of the trees I planted are East Coast native trees that produce the food and shelter the animals and insects enjoy. We're fugal with our energy consumption, using the shade of the trees to cool the house and property in the summer and less of the AC. I would love to put up solar panels on the roof to make my home self-sufficient but it is still priced a bit out of reach for us.

I am very unnerved about what is happening along Louisiana's Gulf shores. This was a huge mistake to think that we could drill for oil so close to something so tender and the wetlands that are sorely needed to protect the land from the ravages of nature. Our natural areas are so much more important than the pocket books of a few.

Maybe growing up so close to the Amish gave me a few hints on how to conserve, or maybe not. One thing I know I do have is a healthy respect for all life, no matter what form it takes. All things have a purpose and it isn't ours to chose who lives and who dies for a percentage of what there is to be had.

Just my personal opinion.

A Busy Weekend

This past Sunday was a trip to Longwood Gardens. Set up by my rose group, we had a wonderful time with a master gardener of the roses of this establishment. However, many of the questions we were asking and discussing with him were not just of roses. There were other plants that interested us as well.

We were also interested in the volunteer work there. It was a wonderful tour of the gardens through the eyes of the master gardeners that work there.


Even as we moved around the garden with our tour guide, there was a lilium exhibit there the same day. As we went into the conservatory, your nose headed you in the right direction. The display was incredible! Thousands of lilies, many of which were the fragrant orientals and hundreds of varieties.

After going through the exhibit (or in my case, before), we headed down to the tent where Longwood had quite the collection of rare and exotic varieties of lilies for sale! Oh, what fun!!!!!

The group following our guide into the outside rose garden. We all had a great time!

Inside the tent, Bob and I had the opportunity to chat with the main curator and the lily gardener. He helped us to pick out four lovely varieties that would do well with my Casa Blanca lilies that I keep right near the deck where we eat when we eat outside. The varieties I got are:

Alessia - a lovely oriental of which with yellow striping and red stamens. No spots.

Bell Song - two-toned pink oriental

Eudoxia - a bright orange/yellow oriental with red stamens (a very unusual and new variety) I'm curious to see what this one does.

Roi - a double (the only double I have) oriental with red stamens and some spotting.


Mountain Laurel - Candy Cane.

After all that walking, we stopped at the Terrace restaurant for a lunch of mushroom soup (the best in the country), a Philadelphia cheese steak sandwich, and a chocolate cupcake that was large enough to share.

On the way home, we stopped by my sister's house to visit for an hour or so. We had a lot of planning for family get-togethers and other things so it was a rewarding stop. We also planned on the plant exchange that I'd been arranging with my sisters for quite some time.

It was a very good day all the way around.

Early Spring and Sinus Infection

Shenck's Ferry Columbine. I found this little pretty at the Penn State Wildflower sale last year. I couldn't resist it since I live less than a mile from Shenck's Ferry Wildflower preserve. It is a really pretty columbine and seems to be quite happy under the locust tree among the giant hosta.

Other wildflowers I got there but not shown here are the little purple wild violets. I had bought six of them three years ago and they are colonizing the entire front bed, making a very lovely purple and blue ground cover. I do have to admit to being very happy with the wildflower I've gotten there.

We are having an early spring here. It is the beginning of May and the roses are in bloom! They are about 3 weeks early this year. As long as we can beat the Thrips, I'll be happy. There is blackspot every where though.

Leonie Lamesch, Polyantha. This little rose I got hoping it would turn into another Marie Pavie only in red rather than white/pink. The bush didn't get nearly as big, but this year is very exquisitely lovely covered in the flowers that first drew my attention to it. Such a beautiful little rose.

Hot Tamale, Miniature. This is an absolutely stunning vermilion red with yellow reverses. A smaller rose to maybe ½" across but the color is eyecatching. That plus the fact that it is continuously in bloom makes it a winner in my garden. It's sport, Ruby Baby is also in my garden but now shown. Ruby Baby is a slightly deeper red and without the yellow reverse. Still, everything else about the tiny rose is the same. Both command attention here.

Climbing Rainbow's End, Climbing Miniature. Just like it's parent plant, Climbing Rainbow's End is becoming a very stunning little rose on a very large plant. The flower usually ½" across is mostly yellow with the red edges, blooms constantly and climbs up the laundry poles very nicely. I really don't expect it to get as large as some of the full sized climbing roses, but it doesn't have to where I keep it. I have two of these (2 laundry poles) and they both seem to be quite happy there.

City of York, Large Flowering Climber. The fragrance of this climber will totally knock your socks off. I was sold on this rose the first moment I smelled it. Apparently there has been some trouble with the propagating of this rose the past couple of years because I've not been able to get a second one. This one is now big enough to take cuttings and make my own. I'll be doing that this year.

Blue Barlow Columbine. An old world looking columbine, this double is a very sweet little plant. I had gotten three of them about five years ago. Now I have the popping up just about everywhere. That's OK though. They are so pretty I let them naturalize. They don't seem to be so prolific that they would take over every thing, but they do fill in nicely.

It's nice having such a beautiful spring this year. I simply can't enjoy it enough.

A Sad Thing

Yoshino Gawa.....

After 4 days of sustained high winds of 20 to 40 mph, we suffered a loss. My beloved Yoshino Gawa tree peony was grabbed by the wind and broken completely off just below ground level. It was a healthy, mature tree peony and always a subject of our cameras every year in bloom.

I had been so excited to be able to get this bush eight years ago, thinking and I still do, that it was a beautiful tree peony.



Yoshino Gawa flower...

Husband thought that maybe we could save it, but seriously, it was completely broken off the root. I haven't seen they Yoshino in a couple of years so I will have to pick another to replace it next spring.

Tree peonies are pricey and I'll need time to save up the money to buy another. That's OK. By next spring I will be able to get one. In the meantime, I still have Rimpo.

The Great Seed Production

Today was the day for the Heirloom Seed Festival at the Landis Valley Museum. We go there every year to get young plants for the garden, especially herbs and tomatoes, all of various varieties of heirlooms. I enjoy the heirlooms better than the more common varieties that are sold in nurseries and garden centers because the older varieties were bred and raised for taste rather than diseas resistance.

This is a huge event that happens every year, the Friday and Saturday before Mother's Day. Normally by then the weather here is warm and usually sunny. This year, it was cold, windy but at least not raining.

For entertainment, they had a harp player who was really quite good. Husband thought she reminded him of one of the Celtic Women and I have to agree. Her choice in music as well as her look made me think of them too. She was selling CDs.

A woman checking the plants at one of the many vendors. I will usually check the tent first, then visit the rose lady in the event that she has any varieties (all from the late 1800s to early 1900s, usually once bloomers) that I might be interested in and today made a bee-line to the hosta man for a hosta I knew I wanted - blue mouse ears. I had a feeling the hosta guy would have what I was looking for and he did. There I got Blue Mouse Ears for my miniature hosta bed under the large oak and I also got a June hosta for under the Fringe tree (when it grows up).

At the entrance to the museum, there were a couple of vendors who had products other than heirloom plants and a pet sitter. Since pets weren't allowed into the museum, the pet sitters watched after pets who came with their owners. This way they weren't left in overheated cars to wait for their owners.

Besides having a pet sitter, the project also has a plant sitter where you can deposit your purchases and they will be tended to and watched over by folks until you are finished with your shopping and visiting and are ready to leave.

The Heirloom Seed Project is something that the Landis Valley Museum does to help keep and maintain the wonderful varieties of vegetables and herbs of years past. Many of these vegetables and herbs would be lost because many large plant nurseries will sell plants that are known to be heavy producers. Usually when you gain something like larger tomatoes, you lose something else - taste, fragrance or something that can be missed. In tomatoes, herbs or other vegetables it might be taste. In roses and flowers it would be fragrance.

I like the heirloom varieties of vegetables. This is also where I was introduced to the herb, Lovage. Not being a fan of the texture of celery, but loving the taste, this herb helps me get the best of celery without the parts I don't like.

Besides all the vendors and the Market Place, the entire museum is open for folks to enjoy. The little town has a museum, store, inn, several houses and barn where there are cattle, oxen, horses and other animals, a gun smith, post office and more. All the attendents are dressed in period clothing. The church now has displays of items of period as well as a documentary film of the Pennsylvania Germans and their symbols and beliefs. It is a wonderful place to visit and learn about the remarkable history of Pennsylvania.

Even though the wind really took the energy out of you, it was a nice day. For lunch was pulled pork sandwiches and of course the most yummy chicken corn noodle soup on the face of this earth. I can never go there without getting that soup for lunch.