IN Carmel

 I woke up this morning with Dahlias on my mind.  So after all the things that begin the day, I opened all my books and read again what needs to happen with preparation.  Not much, seems pretty easy but there are a few things that would make them happy.  They should be staked.  I have stakes but also would like some of the bigger ones to have "tomato'" cages.  They are ugly but a little paint would make them nicer.  If they were green the cages might disappear sort of with all the green that Dahlias bring.  Dahlias need to be tied  to the stakes.  Now my solution was to go to Goodwill and buy a green T shirt a dark shade, tear it in strips and after doing that I have plenty of ties.  Along with the green paint, I got a yellow spray can hoping to change the orange chair in the garden to yellow.  Every garden needs a chair.  Here is the results.  Orange is a hard color to cover up with yellow.       ...

  Thyme, winter savory, sage, tarragon and a whole lot more emerging.  I'll add standing water today. ] The week is speeding along.  The speed seems to be faster these days for what ever reason.  Go figure. Today was another dank day but rain is over for now.  There was another round during the early morning that really soaked everything to the tenth degree or more.  Water standing is not a good thing usually.  I walked the walk and quickly ended up with wet feet.  So I stopped that until I found weeds. There were some pictures taken with the early morning sun that is just beautiful when rain drops are still around.                                                                    Early hours are such good gift givers.   I did a lot of...

 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 ...