Cute Is As Cute Does

I just bought this positively adorable stone crop "Blue Carpet" yesterday. I can't decide if it is irresistible or looks like bread mold. I thought it would look good in my planter but I think I will wait to see if it can actually make it through the winter in the ground, without the added stress of being tossed into my compost heap while still in a planter to see if it will make it through the bitter cold.

Well as if the stone crop wasn't enough to set the cuteometer swinging, I supplemented with the little violet korena Sylvetta Mauve to the right of it. I can hardly bear this combination!

I backed up the shot to give the total effect. This is what I call succulent way- because of all the hens & chicks and sedums lining the little path. The arrangement of rocks and miniature plants borders on twee, but it embodies the magic of gardening that first captured my imagination as a small child.

I started thinking about the cuteness factor in gardens while reading Girl Gone Gardening who makes no apologies for it. Black Swamp Girl asked if people had purchased plants because of their names. When I looked at the Mountain Laurel by my front steps I had a flashback from when I moved it from out in my field. I found its nursery tag ringing a lower branch and it was still legible. It clearly said "Tinkerbell."

Perhaps it is just my cross to bear in the garden.... exiled to cute-land. I suppose it works well with my freckles and buck teeth.

The Latest, And The Greatest

This is my new favorite tool posing next to my old favorite tool. The new one is called a cobra head- for obvious reasons. My old favorite is a classic asparagus picker with a little arc of metal attached to serve as a lever. They are both good for the surgical removal of a weed that is nesting amongst precious plant material.

I bought the cobra head at Real Green Goods in Concord. I had actually gone in to buy some pet safe bug spray for Henry who is having his delicate underbelly eaten alive anytime we venture outside. There it was in a display. Nothing like a curved piece of metal to catch a girl's eye. The owner said she had one and loved it- perfect for maintaining an edge. It claims to be "an extension of your hand." It was a little pricey so I thought I would buy it as a gift for le boyfriend. He thought it looked silly so I ended up with it anyways.

I finally tried it today and, by golly, it has a quite natural feel. It is very easy to use and offers a precision strike at offending weeds. It gets way down to their long trailing roots and works like a charm. I hate to cast aside my old friend, the asparagus picker, but this little beauty has got it all.

Two Thumbs up for the Cobra Head.

In The Pink!

I know that Black Swamp Girl thinks that pink is a little too girly for her garden, but I am secure enough in my tough guy credentials to plant pink everywhere. Although ... I will agree with her that the pink of Husker Red Penstemon will leave your eyes unsatisfied. But the clear pinks of this mountain laurel right next to my front steps is enough to make your heart sing.

I have also never been able to resist Cheddar Pinks. I have also never been able to grow them very well ... until now. Here they are in the little pathway I created through the fence to connect le boyfriend's large vegetable garden and our backyard. It saves us the 3.5 mile walk around the fence so we can talk to each other periodically. So this little pathway is use frequently. Those pinks have stood up to a certain amount of abuse, wheelbarrow traffic and other indignities and still look absolutely adorable. So life's little lesson here is to not under estimate the toughness of a plant (or person) by their stature, pinkness and cuteness factor.

Now if you think I am a woosy, ask my friend Michelle what a tough guy I am - able to walk 5 miles through the cobbled streets of Rome in high heels so she could wear my comfy shoes on her blistered feet.

Personal Best

I went to get a hair cut today and nothing like a room full of women talking about child rearing to make your mind turn to other things .....

... Like your vehicle. I am, admittedly, not a car girl. They hold no allure for me, but they do need to be practical. I bought my Honda Element 3 1/2 years ago when I had a much larger and hairier dog and I had resigned myself to taking over the corporate end of my business. It is the perfectly designed art delivery car- square. Not to mention how easy it is to clean dog fur out of. And it was only a mild concession when it came to mpg- especially compared to other SUV/minivan type vehicles. It was rated at 21-24 mpg.

Since I bought it, it has consistently gotten 21-27 mpg depending on the weather. This was terrible compared to my previous car- a Toyota Corolla- which got 32-38. With all the tips out there on how to save gas by adjusting your driving style I thought I would give it a try. I slowed to 60 mph on the highway, tried to coast to stops and avoided quick starts. On my recent trip to the Encaustic Conference in Beverly, Massachusetts I was able to get 30 mpg. Yippee!

That was mostly highway miles though. The real challenge would be to up my mileage during my regular commute. I have been consciously driving in a very deliberate manner. Slow starts, coasting, using cruise control when I could, etc. Today I checked my mileage and I got 28.23 mpg. Wow! I wonder what else I could do to make it better?

I was chatting with my friend, Louise about my experiment and independently she had started the same experiment. She also has a long commute. She has been able to up her mileage since changing her driving style. We also reached another independent conclusion about slow driving: it relieves a lot of the stress of commuting. Perhaps it is because you are no longer trying to move faster or pass people. It has the same effect as listening to a book on tape while driving- just a completely different focus.

It also makes me feel a little better about driving such an outlandishly large car.

They Grow Up So Fast...

I am downstairs in the main gallery today trying to photograph 3 boxes full of enamels. My little dog has stretched to the limit on his leash and fallen asleep on the stairs where he can keep an eye on me and prevent people from walking through the gallery without waking him up to do an inspection. You can see one of his meaty little paws under his belly. I sometimes like to kiss them until I think too hard about where they have been.

Last night I had to go out with my partner and our new hire for her 1 year review..... which requires drinks and nachos. What to do with my little boy for the one hour this meeting lasts? I decided to take the plunge and leave him in the gallery while we crossed the street to imbibe. I moved any precious art out of his reach and hoped for the best.

For any other dog this would not be considered mistreatment-left inside an air conditioned room with a bowl of water. But they are not Henry. He is so use to going everywhere with me that he takes it for granted that I will not leave him alone. As we exited the rear door of the restaurant I could see his furry head asleep on the top step in the gallery. I walked about ten feet and I saw his head pop up and his tail start wagging. I unlocked the door of the gallery and came in to a howling dog. Of course it took 5 minutes of cuddling and reassurance before we could head to the car and on to home & dinner. Nevertheless I am so proud of him for not howling the whole time I was gone.

Sometimes I can't find someone to watch him for an hour or two. Sometimes the weather doesn't permit me to leave him in the car when I run errands. His new found maturity will give me a lot more flexibility as far as what I can do with him. He has come a long way since I got him last July.

I love my dog.

A Day In The Life Of My Garden, June 10, 2008

This was taken about 7 Am this morning. We had two thunder showers during the evening. The plants were thankful for the rain and the coolness. It caused the day to start off steamy though- you can see it in these photos.

This is my Scarlett O'Hara Peony- a beauty, no? I have had this plant (or a piece of it) for about 14 years. I am still a fan of single peonies because I think their centers add so much to their whole form. I am also pleased that I actually have a peony blossom worth enjoying. In years past, the 7 plagues of Bradford have brought in rose chafer beetles, which you would assume would eat roses. Ahhhh, but no, they prefer potatoes and peonies. To le boyfriend's chagrin, they actually EAT the potato plant. They prefer peonies for more sensual pleasures like procreating and defecation. Beetles piled two and three high, legs thrown back in ecstasy took up residence in new blossoms and then defiled them with big, gloopy piles of brown glop (to be redundant). For three years my beloved peonies have been a source of hand wringing and wailing. This is the first year I have enjoyed their blossoms in this home.

But to look on the bright side- I did learn to kill with my bare hands and with an utter disregard for life. I think these are essential skills for any gardener.

It's Too Darn Hot

Yesterday morning I had a chance to quickly peruse my garden before leaving for work and what do my wondering eyes behold? One of my poppies opened! I knew the weather was slated to go into the nineties so I held no hope for seeing this particular bloom again.

It seems that in every garden I have ever cultivated, the poppies bloom just before a severe heat wave. I have learned to take in their beauty in quick gulps in the cool of the morning .... for they are a temporal joy.

Sure enough, this is what I found at the end of the day. Not only were all the petals on the ground, but the neck was burnt and mushy, the head swinging. Ahh... the indignities of being a Gardener.