IN Carmel

 What choice to do should I choose out of many on a rainy dank day?  The following came to mind.  Read, sleep, watch the birds and visit four flower shops. There was a whole lot of all four choices with a few other things to fit in between the biggies.   Yes, it was a rainy day with temps not so hot.  At the tent flower shop the rain reminded me of camping with cooler temperatures added to a bit of uncomfortableness. Just like camping but this time I got to come home to a warm house and my comfy bed tonight.   Last evening I looked everywhere for the rabbit/deer spray.  I think rabbits nibbled some crocus plants.  Of course they are over and done and they looked like they had a buzz hair cut.  Since I couldn't find the spray, I covered the newly planted plants with big yogurt cans.  This morning they were everywhere but where I put them.  It seems there was a party and I suspect my invitation got lost in the mail.  I ...

 Today was one of those days with a little of this and that.  But I'll admit it was mostly outside.                       The squirrel was determined to get some peanuts.  Success was not part of the day. I could say it was transplant day with a bunch of things.  There are a lot of bare places but that's not uncommon for this time of year.  The movers were dill, strawflowers, swamp milkweed and two somethings that also one might think are annuals but sometimes the hold over for the second year.  One jug gave up straw plants.  There is another full one.  The zinnias are slow go still. Lets see how patient I can be.                 The jug found a place in the garden again near the cup plant, asters and B Eyed Susan's.  I saw that some night animal snipped a couple of common milkweed off eating everything. I suspect rabbits bu...

 So far it's  great day and the expectations are that will continue.   We were off to church at 10 as usual giving us time to visit and do anything that needed to be done.  Church to day was a youth Sunday and the kids did a fantastic job.  Especially of course Grandson Noah.  He did the welcome to North speaking to the congregation as well as to those worshiping at home.  And another part that was given to him was the benediction.   Well done Noah.  Folks came to me after church expressing the same sentiment.             Today it's perennial geranium time.  There are three in the garden.  This is a church swap gift. Our former associate minister being from India coming to the US for seminary and then his family joining him has been given orders he is no longer welcome in this country.  So sad, so sad.  He now has his own church on the east side of town and should be ordain...

                           It would seem that it is time to liberate the straw flowers from their protective jug.                                                                                            There will be many plants. Today started with a sharp cold wind from the North.  Once again Jared left the door open.  And it stayed that way for quite a while.  The sun did bring a false sense of warmth.                     The morning sun gave the burgundy leaves of the Smoke Tree some extra excitement.  I stayed in the chair reading about Dahlias.  I ...

 Almost the end of the week and I didn't do much today.  My hips could not have been happier. Just a few things but not much gardening if you might call covering a few things against the cold.  Yes, it was cold all day.  Mich. kids are having a frost tonight.  No so much for us but it will be cool to cold for sure.                                                   St. Francis has a job to do tonight.  I hope he stays awake. I was out and about  twice looking at plants.  Cool Creek Park north of Carmel continues to have native plants for sale, at comparatively good prices so to speak.  Of course I went to look and then came home with a plant called a Royal Catchfly.  It's flower looks similar to a Cardinal Plant's red flower that humming birds might like..  So we'll see what this o...

            Old fashioned Iris.  If I could remember correctly I think they came from Dougs dad's garden. A cool start to this Thursday.  I had three layers of clothing on for most of the morning never feeling very hot.  I started the day thinking Dahlias and space.  So I checked out my idea of moving plants and whacking off some Lambs ear plants making more space available.   But first Kathleen arrived.  I dug up one more Lenten Rose plant and cut everything into more clumps.  There were a total of 9 I think.  She arrived and we did a complete walk around.  Kathleen loaded up and additionally I gave her two kinds of ginger.  One came from a mutual North friend, no longer on this earth but remembered with great memories.   After Kathleen left, it was time to attack the soon to be D. Bed.  The Lambs Ear lost some of their width and once again the stepping stones were moved to make mor...