Treasures from the Vegetable Garden

There are treasures from the garden. Here I have two Black Beauty eggplant, three Candy onions and two carrots that are two different varieties of three that I planted this year. Don't ask me what varieties because I remember not.

The rest of the onions will come out of the garden when I find a mesh bag to put them in.

One of the eggplant and the carrots are destined for the cooking pot this week. The onions, well, they really need that mesh bag and a cool dark place such as a root cellar. I have just the spot for them.

Let the feasting begin.

First and Foremost

First and Foremost, 2010, Frank A. Benardella.

For a number of years I've been attending the "Mid-Winters" rose convention put on by the Penn-Jersey District Rose Society. There I had the opportunity to meet and get to know Frank Benardella. A lovely man, avid rose breeder, active and a pleasure to be around. He passed away this past February.

When I realized I wanted two more miniatures, I looked at the varieties that I didn't have and decided on the very last one Frank had put into production before his death. First and Foremost is turning into a very lovely, strong, active rose reminding me of him. I'm very pleased with this rose so far. How it takes my winters will tell me how strong this little rose really is. I have two of these, one on each side of a stepping platform from the garden to the patio.

Oh, if you're wondering about the cage. Bratley, my dog, seems to have issues with the stepping platform and runs through the bed to get on the patio. The cage is around the tiny, baby roses to keep him from crushing them. Once they're established and have some size, the cages will come off.

I find the cages help for a number of reasons, mostly animals. I use the cages to keep rabbits and mice away from very young trees that still have green trunks. Especially over the winter, rabbits and mice will chew on the trunks of saplings, hence killing them. Larger scarfs or wraps around the trunks of larger trees will help keep bucks from rubbing on them, again killing the trees. Once the saplings have the thick bark on their trunks the rabbits and mice will let them be, while the deer seem to like the trees between the rabbit and the "mature" stages. At least this has been my experience.

I do have to admit to really liking First and Foremost. I think it is a very lovely rose.

The Chaste Tree (Vitex)

My husband mentioned just the other day that he wanted to enlarge the front corner bed to include a nice Autumn Blaze maple that is in the area. I just stared at him as he told me his plans.

Always in July the Chaste trees bloom. A very lovely shrub type tree that we generally keep as shrubs here. They are a large draw of pollinators as well as people, who stop along the road to view these lovely trees and often ask about them. The blooms will last only a few weeks, but in that time, they are covered with bees, wasps, hummingbirds, butterflies and all sorts of pollinators.

Getting back to my Husband and his ideas; as you can see, the Chaste tree in the picture is getting quite large and is planted far to close to the spruce behind it. I've been asking him for years to transplant the chaste trees and a variegated Japanese willow further into the garden, about ½ way between the spruce and the Autumn Flame maple. He always bulked at that saying it would make the bed far to large and the amount of mulch it would take to keep it nice would be great and at great expense. He didn't see what I saw and now he does. Of course, the three trees (shrubs) to be moved are far to large for him to handle now.

I'm not sure what we're going to do about these trees (shrubs) yet. There are three of them. Two chaste trees and one variegated Japanese willow. By moving them into the garden more, they will have more room to get large without crowding each other or the spruce and maple trees. They will fill in the entire corner of the garden, yet still be protected from the West winds in the winter.

I would still want to keep them as shrubs because they do want heavy pruning to keep up a good flower production and to keep them as trees with nice sized trunks, it might be to hard to keep them pruned at the top. Also I don't want them to big because the site calls for a more scrubby tree or shrub as they are now.

I will have to check with the local nurseries and see if they have the vitex (chaste trees) readily available. I might have to have these removed because of their size and replant new ones where I want them. That would be to bad because these are really beautiful show stoppers.

The only drawback to these plants are the long winter sleep. In my zone 6B garden, they are usually the first to lose their leaves and the very last to push them out in the spring. Often (and for the first two years anyway), I had to refrain from digging them out in the spring thinking they were dead. They don't push their leaves until the very end of May to the 1st of June. Yet, once they start, they don't waste a moment. My chaste trees are 7 years old, planted from a 2 gallon pot in the spring of 2003.

I will check the local nurseries to find out how readily available these plants are before I have these three removed. I want all three and if I have to I'll check into how much it would cost to have them transplanted by a professional who is licensed to do this kind of large shrub/tree transplanting. It might be too costly though.

I've included a link to Dave's Garden - a website that is an extensive database of plants. Here he describes the chaste tree as well as has reviews from folks who have them in their gardens, where to purchase them, etc.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/39966/

A New Rose

A new rose for this year. Brigadoon. I have a feeling that this rose will do well in my garden. I've been looking at it for almost 4 years now and finally got it. I have a feeling that if it does well, I'll be considering this my favorite hybrid tea. I've liked this rose from the start and am happy to have it in my garden.

Another Photo Contest

For the past week I've been getting ready for another photo contest. What makes this contest a bit harder than the others is the lack of current photos I have to work with. Even though this is the best flush of the year, I still have to go out there to take the pictures which takes more time than you can imagine. Then the countless nights sitting up reviewing all the pictures to pick out the best ones and prepare them for a contest.

Now, think that I'll take over 1,000 pictures to have 10 that I think are good enough to enter. The F-Stop, weather, lighting and all conditions must be absolutely right to get a good garden shot that will be a winner.

There are usually three contests that I will enter a year. However, the past two I've entered only two. This year I'm going to enter all three again. I have to admit I have some really great shots this year.

Some of the photos that have made it to the table over the years are:






Summer Wine - 2009 American Rose Photo Contest (Nat'l) 1st place

Water Bearer 2007 - American Rose Photo Contest (Nat'l) - Princess of Court

Summer Fashion, 2007 -

Best in Show Penn/Jersey District Rose Society 2007

1st place American Rose Photo Contest (Nat'l).

Margaret Merril 2006 -

Best White - York Area Rose Society Contest

Rosa Eglanteria 2006 -

Best in Show - Penn Jersey District Photo Contest

1st Place - American Rose Society Photo Contest

These are just the more recent ones that I can remember that made it to the winner's table. There are many more that hang on my walls with their ribbons. Usually only the court and best in show make it to the winner's table. The rest are displayed handsomely with their ribbons.

I'm hoping to have some winners in this group of 2010 photos that we are now taking. Prospects do look good. If there are any, I'll be sure to post them.

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.

A beautiful rainy day

Today was rainy and overcast. Not to worry, it was still a beautiful day. So I had to stay more indoors and do laundry and straighten up rather than be outside planting, cooking out and traipsing around the county looking at plants I really don't need.

Because of the lack of sun, it was a wonderful day to be taking pictures as well. This one is of our favorite view of the house. It's nice to see things growing in now.

I remember being so happy when the house was finally finished and we could move in. But it still felt so barren and hot, almost like a desert. It was also dry that year, one of the worst droughts we had in years. There was no grass in the garden either; nothing to make the house feel like a home and none to come any time soon.

We struggled that year with the plants that came in tow. Many of them suffered horribly as we tried to get them in the ground as we laid out our beds.

I don't know if I would have done it any other way. We had the opportunity to lay out and form the beds before the grass came the following spring. The plants were in and the mulch was spread. There was no question how we wanted the garden to be seeded.

Nearly all the garden beds we put in that first year are still the same beds you see in these pictures. Oh, there were a number of them added in the back yard especially, but most of the front one are the same beds as when we first moved in and put them there.

We had also hired a service to help us bring in the grass seed once it was planted. He helped us for two years until we felt comfortable handling the upkeep ourselves.

Times does fly when you're having fun or have a mission to accomplish. I remember when we first moved in and how I wondered if we had done the right thing and if I would ever feel comfortable in my custom home.

Now, with these pictures, I can see how things have really grown in. How lush the garden is looking and my attitude about living here has changed greatly. I love it here. I'm content and can feel the stress roll of my back whenever I come here after work or being away.

These shots were taken today and I am pleased.

A beautiful morning, a beautiful day

Today, instead of going to my Rose Society meeting, I decided to go to Tudbinks, a local greenhouse where I like to get my summer hangers. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Conestoga-PA/Tudbinks-greenhouses/352988283486 Their hanging pots and planters are generally a good bit cheaper than other greenhouses around and I find the quality of their plants are comparable. Besides, it's a good bit closer than most of the more popular greenhouses. They are a diamond hidden in the mountains.

I ended up spending more money there than I had anticipated. Of course. Over the years they have expanded from annuals and baskets and hangers to perennials and now a few shrubs. They have five greenhouses and two covered open areas where the shrubs and perennials are.

After leaving there with our loot; one shrub, two beautiful hangers, several veggie plants such as eggplant, cantaloupe and honeydew, and several very nice perennials we went to the Conestoga Wagon for lunch. http://www.theconestogawagon.com/ There are several small eateries here that are absolutely wonderful, but I really enjoy the food at the Conestoga Wagon; move over Ruby Tuesday's. The "Wagon" is a tiny restaurant, country store, and gas station all rolled into one - the main hub of the town as country stores were 100 years ago. Nearby there are hairdressers, antique stores and a vet's office where I take the fur kids. The Conestoga Historic Society is also right next door. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pacahs/index.htm

On the way into the restaurant, I over heard a woman telling her son "You can now say you ate at the Conestoga Wagon." This struck me as funny. It seems that only a handful of folks even know that Conestoga exists. I always thought this odd with the history of this tiny village. This town is home to the Conestoga Indians before they were slaughtered by the Harrisburg's Paxton brothers as well as the pre-train form of freight delivery, the Conestoga Wagon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conestoga_wagon Move over UPS. You weren't the first! Nonetheless, we rarely get visitors here. As Husband puts it "We don't even have a stop light!"

Conestoga sits in the out-of-the-way hilltops of southern Lancaster County http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conestoga,_Pennsylvania, however we are not without our benefits. We are home of the Safe Harbor Hydraulic Power facility as well as the Turkey Hill Ice Cream factory.

With all this history, you'd think that Conestoga would be better known, but I'm glad it's not. I love the openness here; the wildness of it. To sit on my deck and watch the birds and wildlife ramble through the property is quieting and wonderful. Husband mentions occasionally about selling the property. I always stare at him and then say "But you won't find another piece of heaven anywhere else." I plan on staying here a long time.

The day vacation

Taking some much needed time off work, this is a bit earlier than I usually take, but like I said, I really needed it.

The stay-cation was mostly done at home being the time off that we set our sights to finishing the garden and getting it ready for spring. Usually this is done in early May. This year, however, since spring came with such a passion, a little earlier was called for. That's OK.

Of course, I can't leave work for any length of time without finding something to do to make it a bit interesting and breaking up the work around the house. Since yesterday was forecasted to be the last of the really nice days, a trip to Longwood Gardens was in order.

I've been finding going places and doing things other than the garden on really nice days kind of hard to do. My garden is starting to grow in now and I'm finding it very pleasant. But we also needed the break. Taking care of the garden does take up the majority of our time off, so this was a good thing.

We usually don't get to Longwood this early in the season, but it was pleasant since we did get to see plants and bulbs in bloom that we don't often get to see. The wisteria was in bloom, so of course we had to visit the wisteria garden. It is very pretty and very fragrant this time of year. The plants are impressive, though I wouldn't want them in my garden. They are to big and aggressive for me. Besides, the Japanese wisteria, as these are, will attract the bees, but not much else. My wisteria is an East Coast American variety that is somewhat different, smaller, less aggressive and blooms throughout the summer, though the blooms are smaller and more plentiful.

Longwood's spring bulb and summer annual walk is always spectacular! These two photos show the wonderful array of color that really draws the eye and begs you to walk through and enjoy the lovely fragrance and display. This is just one of the displays. There is a second one around the children's garden that is just as colorful. We also had to stop to watch the Blue Martins flying around the house, taking insects that might be a problem to the growing vegetables in the vegetable garden. That gave us ideas for our vegetable garden until we also discovered that you might want an owl guard for it at extra cost of course. We might have to change our minds about this. The owl is one predator that we do seem to have around here. They often go for the baby rabbits that run all around the garden, but if they also harass the Blue Martins, maybe it's best we not put one up. We'll think about this more.

We ended up spending the usual amount of time at Longwood but we didn't stop this time for refreshment at the Terrace Restaurant as we normally do. Nor did we see as much of the garden as we usually do either. It was such a beautiful day and we just leisurely strolled around the garden taking in all that we normally don't see when we're here.

We were drawn by the color, so everywhere there was color, we went. We were particularly interested in the daffodils and tulips, the growing new vegetables and how they had their berry vines such as raspberries growing. It was interesting to see while you could still see the skeletons of the plants and the way they had them growing on wires and trellises.

We stopped on the way home at the local nursery to pick up a new variety of dwarf lilac that sounded interesting to put in a hole that really needed something interesting in the garden. The variety is Boomerang. It is very fragrant and will be next to the deck and my office window where the scent will be greatly appreciated. We will hopefully get that in today before the rain comes. I also got two yarrows for the back perennial bed. We are cleaning that bed out now, getting it ready for the season and a lot of the stuff in there will unfortunately have to be dug up with the wheat that has taken over the entire site. I'm planning on broadcasting some wildflowers there as well in hopes of keeping the farmer's wheat out of that bed. Anything that is aggressive with spreading is welcome (except mint). The yarrow will prove to be a good addition here.

On our return home, there was a box on the front porch with two roses in it; Brigadoon and Falling in Love. Brigadoon I've been wanting for at least 7 years and now I finally got it. Falling in Love, I've been looking at for the past two years. These came from a company where I had a gift certificate to that I had won as a door prize at the Mid-Winter's Rose Convention in February. These were both lovely, large bare-root roses with really strong root systems. They got soaked and planted the same day.

I need to go as I can see the clouds pushing in overhead and I want to get some of the wildflower seed in before the rain comes. There will be more later.

More Spring Stuff

I've been working on the garden this week. It's been fun, but also a lot of work. I also am taking the time I want to enjoy the garden and watch the birds. I'm surprised at the number of Chickadees we have in the garden this year. We've never had them in the garden before and this year we have two breeding pairs. They are constantly squabbling with each other even though one lives in the Crimson maple in the front of the house and the other pair lives in the little house under the beech in the back of the house. They are funny to watch.


Years ago, we were given a tiny Japanese maple of undetermined variety by the wife of a deceasd friend. She said that her husband would have wanted us to have this tiny tree, so we took it in honor of the friend. Six years later it is growing nicely on a hill, still in honor of this friend. It was a gift to him by another mutual friend. I'm pleased it is growing so nicely.





Not far from that Japanese maple there is another, almost directly across from it. This little Threadleaf Japanese maple, again of undetermined variety resides near the beech tree and is doing amazingly well despite the rough winter we had. We had found this tiny tree at a box store, nearly dead from abuse and neglect for $25. We brought it home, planted it almost immediately and kept it well watered. Well, Mother Nature did most of the work. This spring it leafed out very well and is now looking at being established. It is growing nicely as if it didn't know it was planted there last fall.


In between the two Japanese maples we are planning on putting in a pondless waterfall, hopefully next year, and a set of steps alongside to gain easy access to the upper level of the back garden. Although our garden will always be a work in progress, this waterfall should be the last of the major projects. We are also thinking of putting in a stone path from the driveway around to the patio, but this shouldn't be so expensive that we can't do it at almost any time.


We've been keeping up with the garden very well this year so far. I hope we can keep it up. We wanted another tree for the back garden and looked around at a few, but eventually decided on a sweet birch that was growing along the back fence under the electric cables. We moved it to the spot where we wanted another tree. It is in deep shock right now, but looks strong. I'll give it another dose of root-start and it should be fine. It is actually growing for me. I'm hoping that the immature roots it has will be able to sustain it until they are large enough to truly support it. I won't know the strength of it until next spring when it blooms again.


Husband wants to finish the last of the mulch today and I want to continue with the back flowerbed, preparing it for the wildflowers I will broadcast throughout it. This should be another good day and just in time for the rain that is coming.


The forsythia still needs serious attention and that will come. Then the garden will be up to date with the care. I did notice that the weeding needs to be started again in the front. It just goes round and round it seems.

Snow Fountain Cherry

This spring has been exceptionally warm and beautiful this year. The garden has exploded as if it just couldn't wait for this wonderful weather. No wonder, after all the snow we've had.

Anyway, this was the 1st year in 7 that I've actually been able to appreciate my snow fountain weeping cherry. It's grown well, but blooms so early that I am still rarely outside to appreciate it - and it's beautiful fragrance. I never realized how beautiful this tree was before.

Everything is doing beautifully this year. I spend more time outside now (as much as possible). The roses are pruned and fertilized, the evergreens are fertilized and it's time to start with the trees and their yearly care. We've already transplanted a sweet birch to a place where it will be more appreciated and a few acquired perennials have gone in. My temporary greenhouse has gone up and my seedlings are in there as well as any plants that need hardening.

The nights are still cool and I find it hard to get up in the mornigs. The evenings are warm and waiting for me to return from the jobplace to work on the garden. Most weekedays I make dinner and then work on the garden for an hour before it gets to dark to see.

Last evening I planted my onions and finished the fertilizing of the evergreens. It's projected to rain today so my planting will be good. So far in the garden I have peas and lettuce and I'm sure the carrots are working on it. I should know soon.

Time now for the Garden

Today I got my first of two rose orders. I didn't order much this year. Just a few plants which include 4 roses and three perennials.

The roses I got today were Fourth of July and Crimson Bouquet. I ordered these from Northland Roses, a new company to me because of a gift certificate I had won as a door prize at a local rose convention. I was impressed with the roses when they arrived. Well cared for, well rooted and very healthy. I have high hopes for these babies.

Yesterday I went to the local garden nursery and bought another pink dogwood. I seem determined to have a pink dogwood tree in my garden somewhere. The one I have has had a very bad couple of years since I over fertilized it. It's been going down hill since and it now appears to have lost the best part of the tree. So, my trip to the nursey was to get a repalcement. However, now that I've bought the tree, I'm not so sure about the little sick one. It appears to have improved this past day, so I will allow it the rest of the week and this glorious weather to prove that it truly didn't lose the best part of it. If that is the case, the new little pink dogwood will go to another spot that is crying for a tree like this. Or maybe I'll just plant it in the new spot and replace the other one should it finally succumb.

I'm working on the roses. Many of them were broken badly from the worst snow in 8 years but I lost only one of them. That one is one that seems to want to be an annual anyway and it didn't surprise me. Many of the others did though by surviving the winter with flying colors. I have most of them pruned now and want to finish them this weekend. I'd also like to get the fertilizing done as well.

We are right on schedule for the early spring clean up and will hopefully have time to do some other things to the garden we couldn't get to last year. We had mulch delivered yesterday. This is about 2 months earlier than we've gotten to it before.

The weather's been beautiful and the recession has been keeping us at home. This is a good thing for the garden.

Lately

Well, it's been quite a while since I've been writing here. I hope not too long.

Anyway, it's been quite a winter for me. The month of February with it's 42 inches of snow, making the total for the year so far at 58 inches. It's been a mess. Now, I'm quite sick with what appears to be three different types of virus. YUCK.

I've been keeping myself busy this winter though. I painted the master suite; still working on the last two doors as well as doing some sewing. Those of you who know me, know I love to sew and will do so at every opportunity. Do I save money by making my own clothes? No. But you can tweak the garments some making them fit a little better sometimes. Here is the list:

This is a short sleeved shell, or at least will be when it is finished. I still have the sleeves to set in. They are made and this is the next step. After this, the hem and the shell will be finished. If you think I'm wearing it with the next garments, think again. That, in my opinion is a bit much blue and flowers for one outfit. I will wear this with a pair of black or white pants or a black skirt that I have in my closet. I may use the sash with it though. I'll see how that works.

This is a skirt and sash made out of the same material as the shell above. I had originally gotten this material for a skirt, then thought about a dress, but decided on the skirt. I order a really lovely banded bottom summer sweater to wear with this in black, but I also have a nice white sweater that will go well too. The sash was a plus. When I had gotten this fabric, I didn't realize that it was so wide and it made all three of these garments with only a small amount to spare. I hadn't planned on making all this but it is a lovely draping material and I'm glad I had enough for all three pieces.

This is a smock dress. The fabric is 100% cotton and a bit heavier than I had anticipated, but it is pretty. I had problems with the pleat in the front of the dress, breaking a couple of sewing needles before I finally was able to get it together. I am very unhappy with the instructions for this dress. This was the first time I had made one of these and followed the directions to a "T" only to discover that when it came time to do the pleat in the front there was so much bulk material to work around it was nearly impossible to get it done the way the directions said. So, should I decide I like this pattern, and want to make another, I will finish the front of the dress before sewing up the side seams. That way I can ease a lot of the bulk out of the way. This dress might still need some tweaking, but I will know that when I wear it the first time. It is pretty with big pockets and nice for more casual wear.

I found this material in my sewing trunk. I remember getting a bolt of this a couple of years ago and even thought I had made this shirt. I couldn't find it anywhere and was surprised to find the material in my trunk. Now, Husband has a really pretty summer dress shirt to wear to the theater when we go see "Phantom" in June.

This is another camp shirt I made for myself, again with fabric I found in my sewing trunk. More material I got at the same sale as the shirt above and never got around to making anything. I was surprised however to find that when I went to take the picture of this shirt that the button holes weren't finished. Amazing. I will be finishing it really soon.

One last accomplishment for this February. I won a 1st place for my picture of Summer Wine in the American Rose Photo Contest for this year. This is a very beautiful rose and a beautiful picture. I'm proud of this win.

March is here now, the snow is leaving us and the gardening will hopefully begin in a week or two or three. It will soon be time to prepare the garden and plant the peas, onions, carrots and lettuces. There will be a lot of heavy pruning this year as the deep snow has taken it's toll on the shrubs and roses. I see a lot of broken plants out there, but none that can't be saved. All my plant orders are made and I've ordered some new spring clothes. I'm ready to start the season as soon as I get over this virus that wants to harass me. I'm looking forward to a glorious spring.

Crossing the Conestoga River

Bob was at the Conestoga River Bridge today and this is the movie he made. I think it's pretty good!

Following the Three Mile Island Generators

In anticipation of tomorrows move, we went to see what was going on with the generators that are being towed to Three Mile Island and are now within three miles of my home.

The pair of huge cranes with cables that will support the Conestoga River bridge as the generators are transported across this bridge on their next leg of the journey. This road has been closed for the past month as PennDot prepared the roads and bridges for this event.

The two turbine generators are now parked at the Rock Hill Tavern, where many of the patrons park when they visit this establishment for the great beer and sandwiches this 200 year old tavern is known for.

These next photos are of the generators.

It was a beautiful day today. We couldn't just drive up to the generators, but parked a few hundred feet away and walked to the tavern and the generators.

The generators are accompanied by their envoy of police, and transporters including the travel trailers for the folks with them.