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Weed, Spray, Love… the Garden, That Is
Posted on | March 28, 2008 | No Comments
Was outside yesterday weeding on my knees until I couldn’t unbend them. This afternoon it was me against the aphids. Armed with a spray bottle of soapy water, I bombarded them until they ran streaming down the stems and onto the ground. A temporary victory at best, no doubt. But what fascinated me was the [...]
Seriously Bummed, or: Who Moved My Peas?
Posted on | March 25, 2008 | No Comments
The pea vines have been shooting up, hugging the trellis, bursting forth with flowers and tendrils exactly as they’re supposed to do. So imagine my consternation (other words come to mind, but this is a family blog after all) when the first peas began to ripen, and I noticed them looking different. Looking oddly… flat. [...]
Unidentified Flowering Objects (UFOs) Spring Version
Posted on | March 24, 2008 | No Comments
For the life of me I cannot remember the names of these two plants. The little white lantern- shaped cascades of flowers are planted in enormous pots on the back terrace, and the lavendar clusters are perennials blooming in the shade bed along the side of the house. Both are lovely, and both have me [...]
The Hills Are Alive With California Poppies
Posted on | March 23, 2008 | No Comments
The poppies add a swathe of orange to the front garden, bringing a smile to my face every time I walk outside. No sign yet of the pink or white ones, but they may just bloom a bit later in the season than the creamsicle orange variety. Talk about delayed gratification! I even have some [...]
Evil Genius
Posted on | March 20, 2008 | 1 Comment
That’s what I thought when I discovered this Arum italicum, otherwise known as Italian Lords & Ladies (or in a nod to its rather phallic-looking spadix, as “Willy’s Lily” and “Dog’s Dibble”). It’s a volunteer in the front garden, hiding in a rather out-of-the-way corner as if hoping to escape my notice. I’ve never seen [...]
Short Row Overindulgence
Posted on | March 18, 2008 | 1 Comment
The Lizard Ridge takes shape! With only one block to go and all the others blocked, it’s beginning to look a lot like a blanket. It’s amazing how much the Noro Kureyon softens up when rinsed and blocked. But Jeez Louise we’re talking a lot of short rows, and a lot of knitting back backwards. [...]
I Know It’s Spring Because My Allergies Are Blooming
Posted on | March 16, 2008 | 1 Comment
… and my nose is dripping and my eyes are itching… and my throat is rasping… Aah, spring has sprung! But at least it’s lovely to look at. The wild currant flowers are available in several colors, and I am told the currants are edible. The birds beat me to them last year. Perhaps planting [...]
TGIF
Posted on | March 14, 2008 | No Comments
Yes, it’s Friday, and not a moment too soon. What a long week; the second one during which my husband has been out of town on business (and home for a mere twenty-four hours in between, poor guy), leaving me nagging and nudging duty exclusive oversight of our teenage daughter. Who happens to be grounded [...]
Daffo-down-dillies
Posted on | March 12, 2008 | No Comments
Where did I hear them called that? Must have been during my childhood when my mother and I took walks through the neighborhood (and either one or both of my sisters were still confined to the stroller) in the early spring. My task was to name the flowers we saw – undoubtedly the beginnings of [...]
The Pause That Refreshes
Posted on | March 8, 2008 | No Comments
Nothing like homemade biscotti and a cup of hot tea to get the creative juices flowing. A friend came over and baked four gigantic batches of heavenly biscotti with me last weekend: anise, chocolate-almond, lemon-walnut, and chocolate-hazelnut-ginger. She was the smart one, and gave most of hers away. To restrain myself from devouring all of [...]