grand rapids garden
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Easing into the Solstice
It’s summer and the waxing moon rises in the south eastern sky. Nestled beneath it the day lilies awake and nod, their loosened pollen dusting delicate petals. The first lily to bloom was Crystal Pinot. I found it at the Farmer’s Market late last summer. I love the ruffles. My love of pink day lilies… Continue reading
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Bloom Day, June 2010
Egads! Lots of stuff is blooming and choosing just the right photos is difficult. But here goes. And now for the close ups, Mr. DeVille… Continue reading
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Saturday morning musings
I heard him before I saw him, chatting to no one or everyone. He was feasting on the berries that are beginning to ripen in the tree just beyond my back fence. It’s a popular feasting spot when the berries begin to turn from red to almost black. I’ve never bothered to figure out what… Continue reading
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A palmful of strawberry
Ok. So when I filled out the “about me” information on Blotanical I said the only fruit I grew came from the old cherry tree in the back yard. That wasn’t exactly true, though I never dreamed I’d be able to harvest a strawberry. Notice the singularity of that noun “strawberry.” By the way, lest… Continue reading
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A day of garden centers and gentle thunder
They are two of my favorite things: Shopping for plants at two of my favorite garden centers with a friend, and listening to gentle thunder roll in from the southwest. I don’t want violent storms, mind you. Michigan does get tornadoes, and fierce straight-line winds. But a gentle thunder storm is soothing. Today was a… Continue reading
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Late May and late afternoon
It is hot here in West Michigan. The heat has forced lots of flowers into bloom and it’s safe to assume that no frost will nip them now. I love the garden in late afternoon when the sun is low. Clematis x White is blooming and it’s vines are twining nicely with the later blooming… Continue reading
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Dutchman’s pipe
These vines have such odd little flowers. I read someplace that the flowers emit an unpleasant odor, but I’ve never detected anything unpleasant about them, odor or otherwise. But there are definitely more flowers on the vines this year than ever before. What I didn’t expect was that these vines send out runners, and I… Continue reading
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Steamy May and bee music
The hansa roses are now in full bloom and covered in fragrance and bee music. There is something so comforting about the gentle hum of bumblebees as they nuzzle pollen covered stamen. For some reason I like the bumblebees best. They are native pollinators and were here long before European honey bees were imported to… Continue reading
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Shredded bark makes the garden pop!
Yesterday was mulch day and the garden looks wonderful with its fresh new covering. And, four more arborvitae went in yesterday, too, with a little help from the guys who brought the mulch. They also moved the broken fountain into the secret garden. A friend tonight suggested I try aquarium glue on it. It won’t… Continue reading
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Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, May 15, 2010
It’s Bloom Day and I’ve ceremoniously taken pictures of today’s participants. The Pana Rhododendrons are doing very well. I put acid around them last summer and that has made them very happy. My soil is quite alkaline. The old spirea is still going strong, and the Francis Williams hostas are holding their own despite the… Continue reading
About Me
I haven’t always been a gardener, but I have always loved gardens. It has taken 16 years to get my gardens into the shape they are today. And, I’ve had help. I’m 74 years old, have rheumatoid arthritis, and had a late stage cancer six years ago. I am, though, intrepid. I’m the kind of person who plods along, tailoring my goals as I go. Last November I had a long overdue knee replacement surgery and I’m hoping this spring, summer, and fall will be able to maintain and find even more joy working in all of my garden beds. Full disclosure, though. I have a garden guy who comes once a week to work in my gardens.
Garden 337 