independence day

Happy 4th of July!
Hope you have a fun, and safe, holiday!

bragging rights

I think I have the nicest looking compost bins! Never having grown hops before, I didn't know what to expect.... so I planted them along the split rail fence.... then learned the rails don't have enough substance for the aggressive vines to cling. So they grab on to the compost bins, driftwood, apple trees, and everything else that gets in their way!

I had this grand idea to re-locate them to some of my larger Spruce trees in the back yard. They've been de-limbed somewhat so we have these bare tree trunks that are just itching to have a vine climb them. I relocated one this year but got behind schedule so will need to move the rest this fall or next spring. They have some heavy duty root systems which is surprising for such a dainty vine. But this one seems to be quite happy in its new home and I can hardly wait to see it in its advanced growth stages.

I was greatly surprised this spring when I saw that my Lewisia survived our horrid winter. To begin with, I wasn't certain how hardy it would be for our winters and really wasn't expecting it to survive. And the fact that it was planted in a basket and left out all winter and still survived, just amazes me. There's no good reason why it should have survived, yet here it is, healthy and blooming! It's hard to tell from this picture, but it's a bright bright pink, almost fluorescent. That's a sedum growing with it. I love this combination and little accent to the garden.

I've never had much luck with Sweet Woodruff but may have found the perfect garden to plant it in. And it's taking over! Last summer I planted it in three different gardens and only one area survived. Why? They were all planted in the same soil conditions, within close proximity to each other, similar light conditions..... I feel good having had some success, so will try planting it in other gardens again this year. Then keep my fingers crossed. I think they're one of my favorite ground covers with their little green leaves and dainty white flowers.

I love setting flower pots on my moss-covered stumps. These are some pretty little violas.

I find it interesting how my likes and dislikes change from season to season; from month to month some times. A year ago, it would never have dawned on me that I would be buying and planting grass in my gardens! Especially grass that one might find out on the Wetlands! Yet, here's proof that I'm losing my mind in my older age! I actually have learned to love grass though and the wonderful accent they add to the gardens.

I love my garden and all its little rooms. I especially love the accents I have tucked in each one. I could spend hours outside, just admiring them, loving the peace and contentment they provide.

a garden tour

Some times I wonder if I was born with dirt under my fingernails.... Was it my destiny to be in love with plants and tending to nature? I suspect it was. It was how we were raised. Gardening, taking care of pets, tending to wild creatures, appreciating nature around us.

Then there was Mrs. Baxter. She was our next door neighbor and they had a plant nursery in the field next to us. I don't recall ever going through the nursery and I'm not even certain it was.... or just greenhouses where they grew their own flowers. She had THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GARDEN IN THE WORLD. Or at least in my world. It was full of dahlias. She lived in an old, rock house filled with antiques and outside were gardens and pathways that we could get lost in. I never wanted to leave.

Today, I'm still trying to live in that garden.... Without knowing it, or understanding why until recently, it appears I'm recreating my past into the future. Tending to the birds and squirrels. Adding a small creek bed and pond. Designing my gardens with pathways that wind, secret rooms, quiet places to sit and reflect, accents to surprise you.

For me, it's not so much about plants that bloom, but having a place where the dogs can romp and roam and the grandbabies can explore. When I make a new garden, it has to be dog-friendly so if they do happen to wander recklessly inside the boundaries, any damage won't be devastating. I try to fill my garden beds with hearty shrubs and plants that will bounce back if they get trompled on.

I also love to incorporate what you find in nature, into my landscape. Ferns, driftwood, naturalizing ground covers, rocks.

I LOVE FERNS! They make such a great backdrop for plants. You can put ferns next to iris or sedum or astilbe or most anything and it looks good. I love ferns just as much as I love the actual bloom on a flower and I probably love Fall colors more than I do actual flowers. When I buy shrubs, I often seek out those plants that will provide something back to nature, like berries for the birds, and then the Fall colors.

Yard art is another necessity for my gardens. Whether it be my little gnomes resting lazily on a boulder, watching the world go by, birdbaths which are nothing more than a ceramic saucer filled with water and sitting on a rock. I think rocks and wood rounds also make great accents in a garden. They add a certain charm and an inviting feel to the garden. Often, a garden's focus is not a plant at all, but some kind of yard art whether it be an old bucket filled with old soil and covered with moss or a weathered piece of driftwood I found along the beach.

One day when I was outside working in the back yard, I found the entrance to what I believe to be a garden fairy's home! Could it be??? I've yet to see the little fairy girl that lives inside this moss-covered tree stump, as I suspect she only comes out at dusk when all dangers have passed. I believe she sprinkles her fairy dust over my gardens and casts her fairy charms in such a way that it's the real reason my gardens look as lovely as they do. Yes, this little door holds all the secrets to my garden.... One day, when I'm wandering down the garden path with my little Hunter or Ellis, I think she'll show herself.... But until then, she'll continue to watch over my gardens, dusting it with fairy love.

Happy gardening! Nancy

instincts

Some might think the Stellar Blue Jays are a royal pain, but we get so much enjoyment out of watching them. You can tell the ranks of some of them. The Baby Blue Jays arrived a few weeks ago, the little fluff balls. They look like we do on a bad hair day with their down poking here and there. By the time they're pushed out of the nest, they've already learned where to go for the good food. And they know how to push my buttons to get more. And I have to admit, I'm an easy target and an easy student.... It's like they're at a movie theater, watching a movie on the big screen, as they peer inside our sliding glass door, watching us. They just stand there, on the stoop, watching.... and watching.... Waiting for their peanuts.

This spring we noticed that one of our squirrels had made a nest in the stairwell on the back deck. Of course we weren't happy about that, but what were we to do at this point? We couldn't evict her! We've just kept our fingers crossed that she didn't do any damage to the house. Now we have babies. Two of them! They started venturing out last week, trying to be brave soldiers. Yesterday the two of them were fighting. Mike said he saw one fall out of the tree and the other one came flying down the trunk after him, chasing him. I could just hear their momma: "You boys go outside and play. We don't rough house in the nest!"

Now the Blue Jays know the sound of the perklunk of the peanuts as they land on the deck. And they come flying. The adult squirrels learned that when they heard the Blue Jays squawk, that food was on the table, and they would come running for their share of peanuts. I've noticed this weekend that the baby squirrels have also learned that when the Blue Jays are around, it usually means food, and, now, they come looking for their meal. But they're still very timid around the aggressive Blue Jays and aren't quite sure what to do. Poor little brave soldiers. But they stick with it long enough to grab a peanut and head back to the nest. "Look, mom, Breakfast!"

We live such a simple life and these are our simple joys.

Have a good day. Nancy

my name is nancy, and I'm an addict....

"I love to garden" would be an understatement.... "I'm addicted to buying plants" would be an accurate statement.... But I do love gardening and I do love buying plants and I do love falling in love with different foliage, different colors, different plant combinations. It's my passion and my hobby. Sadly, it's also an addiction.... I can't stop buying plants. No matter how hard I try, no matter how much I tell myself I'm not buying any more plants.... I still load the car up after every work day. You see, I work for a plant nursery in the summer. It's like giving candy to a child who doesn't have the good sense to say, no thank you, it'll rot my teeth....

But it's a lovely yard! With lots of different gardens, pathways, places to sit and rest. Every summer I have a new project or two (or three) that I've taken on for building more gardens or adding more features. Or maybe there's a new shrub I want and need a place to put it. See, it doesn't take much for me to bring a plant home. Some times it's because it's the last one at the nursery (and who will want to buy one single plant...?) or no one is buying a certain plant so I'll bring many home and give them life. There's never one good, single reason why I'm tempted by a certain plant. It's just because I'm addicted to plants....

Last year I decided to (1) have our back yard leveled out and a dry creek bed installed to hopefully solve our problem of standing water and (2) be finished with my landscaping projects once and for all. In that order..... Here's where you can hear my husband laughing! My original plan was to keep it simple enough that I could do it.... How hard could it be after all??? But summer came and went and I became 56 years old and my body 112. The 45 year old inside of me moved aside to let the reality sink in..... I was no longer 55 years old and simply could not do such labor intensive work any longer. So I hired the owners of the nursery where I work to come in and create this "dry" creek bed.

So one thing led to another, and, well..... I don't want to spoil the surprise, but do want to share the development of this creek bed with you. Take you on the journey with me!

Here's what's happened so far. The big rigs came in--the dump truck, the excavator, the crew:

In no time at all, our lawn was dug up and a trench 3 feet deep and 40 feet long was dug. This will become a french drain and hopefully our standing water will drain here and not somewhere else:


The first load of rocks was delivered and carefully added to the trench:


With the french drain finished, we started on the creek bed. Did you notice in my entry paragraph I talked about putting in a "dry" creek bed to collect the water runoff? Well, it's now become a real creek, with real water, AND a pond! Woo hoo! Here the crew is laying more fabric over the rocks/french drain, which is now becoming the creek bed. More rocks were laid in and around the bed to make it look like a river's edge:

A dump truck delivered a load of boulders and the excavator operator gracefully flopped each one in its designated spot:

At the same time, a load of D1 gravel arrived. This would help level out one of our problem areas and tie the creek bed in with the other gardens:

The excavator has strategically placed boulders around my garden edges to tie the entire back yard together. Here the crew is smoothing out the rough edges, adding river rock around the boulders to make it look like a river's bank. I'm loving it!

More strategically placed rocks.

Our dog, Sadie, is trying out the new pathway. Before, the trails that weaved in and around my gardens, all came to an end at the edge of the lawn. I wasn't certain how this would all transition together:


We're almost done with day one--placement of the pieces. Several more dump trucks later and the soil was placed for new gardens. Music to my ears! Originally I was going to develop this garden next year.... But if it's in place now, I'm bound by the Gardener's Creed to plant.... This starts at the creek edge (where the pond will go) and goes along the fence line for 70 feet.

Lastly, another dump truck arrived with a load of sand. This will become the base of our lawn AND also provide a little sandy beach at the creek side for the grandbabies to play in.

So there you have it. This year's project. Phase One: Placement. I'm hoping to see the crew this week to finish the creek bed. All the rocks have to be individually laid. Glad I'm not working on this project! After the creek is finished, then I can start planting around the creek edges, around the boulders. So, stay tuned for Phase Two! Nancy

finally, spring

I had a good evening. Spent a good deal of it visiting old friends. Blogs that I hadn't visited in a very very long time. Catching up. Seeing what was new. It seems everyone has just continued on, sharing their homes, their craft projects, their family.

Here, in my town, we survived another winter of way too much snow. Our winter was too long. Too cold. The good news is, we've had an incredible spring so far. For a change. One thing you need to know about Juneau is it rains all the time and if it isn't raining, it's dark and dreary, and cold, and damp. It can be a very depressing town. And we've had horrid summers the last few years with winters being even worse. So we definitely deserve decent weather. For me, weather in the 60's is just perfect.

It poured down yesterday, for the first time in a few weeks. We definitely needed the rain to soak our soil good, so our plants and trees could grow. But as luck would have it, my husband no sooner finished fertilizing every single plant, shrub, and tree in our rather large landscaped yard.... that it started to downpour.... I hope it had a chance to do some good before being washed away.

But here it is almost June and our gardens are just starting to come to life. The leaves are out on the trees now and our earliest spring blooming perennials are in bloom. One of our earliest spring bloomers is the Trollius, or Globe Flower, with its cheery yellow flowers. Beautiful and so cheery!

My grandbabies are due any minute, so I better run. Hunter is now one and a half years old and Ellis recently turned one year old.

Until next time.... Nancy

should I....?

Here it is, almost the end of May. Almost three months since I last wrote... Where has time gone? I'm still here, although I've not been blogging much lately. Obviously! I've not kept in touch with any of my blogging friends. I've been bad, very bad. Yet, here I am, once again thinking of reaching out to the blogging world and asking for your friendship. Bloggers are such a special group of people. So understanding and supportive. We share our deepest secrets, loves and fears, our failings, our successes, and other most precious details about our lives. To total strangers! Yet, these strangers become our most precious friends. We depend on them for kind words and support. To make our lives right. So if blogging is so great, why do I keep stopping?

I went back to older posts today, looking for something specific, and have to say, I laughed at more than one! In the earlier days, I always seemed to have something to say. Yet, today, my mind is blank and that causes a problem in the blogging world. Blogging should be fun, not a source of frustration, trying to come up with something to say. Yet, here I am, once again, trying to get back into the blogging world, trying to think of something to say that would entice you to return.... Wish me luck!

For now.... Nancy