IN Carmel

     More Dianthus blooming with a little more to go.  It tells me with no words that it is grow time.   Well, the night was short.  I thought it was six am so I got up and got ready for the day discovering that I probably got up at 4 or so.  What a bummer.  I just got my usual breakfast and spent time with my garden books.  Some days are like that even in Australia so says Alexander.                  Problem child.  Peony's from our Mr. Monday's bush planted more than 50 years ago. I collected everything I needed and was off to church a little after 8 with flowers for the altar.  That took a while since one arrangement was pretty easy and the other one didn't want to do what I thought it should.  Sometimes things similar to that happen even in Australia so says Alexander.                       Better beh...

 Forgetting is getting to be a habit.  What happened this morning.  There wasn't much to forget because not much happened.  It was a lazy crazy morning, mostly lazy with not much crazy.  There was breakfast, paper fetching and a for certain walk around especially to see the new plant addition.  I was afraid Dahlias might be good rabbit food but that wasn't the case.  They were all smiling and I was happy.  What good strong bodies they had with arrival and continue to have.  One later in the day got a little move allowing more room for growth.  The three vacant places have been staked already waiting for the hole occupant arriving Sunday.   I made another trip to the flower tent telling the girls working there that if I appear again, they have permission to shoot me.  I think I've scared myself enough to stay away.  I picked up two flats of small zinnias and another herb.            ...

 First on the BLOG!  Posted for our Sterling Michigan and Lake Medora U P of Michigan camping friends, the Lupine is showing color.  This plant came to me as a seed from their home near Eagle Harbor, Mi.                                          Thank you so much Gary and Judy. You also hold great memories. I was so busy at the end of the afternoon and what happened in the morning is sort of a blur.  If I can let the roll-a-dex spin a few times maybe that will get this stuck memory wheel going.  I do remember that today would be Dahlia day.  Whoopee! Oh, yes...the day started with the rake and shovel and loosening the soil where the Dahlias would be planted.  So that happened.  I worked on better placement of stepping stones.  They can be deadly if not level.  I continued on to other places that needed a break in th...

                                               Complements of the plant swap.  It's been a good year for Iris. Crazy morning.  Well, something different maybe not so crazy.  Last night's sleep was a bit different having a lot of noticeably achy places in my body.  Hips, back, legs...you name it but I did do some sleeping.  So the morning continued the same way and by afternoon, all was better.  It seems to be something the cancer meds bring. Yes.  I'll take it as one of the side affects. Walking was a challenge so I didn't do much. It's hard to walk without your hips moving!  Can you believe all that orange and black at the Michigan homestead.  I told Kimmy I was sure some were fake.  The hummingbird showed up in the afternoon.   I kept things as normal a day as possible.  The rabbits ...

                                                                             Pretty, pretty dianthus. Tuesday, the day that follows Monday for ever.  It was a good day with proof of being tired in the evening.  The morning was pretty easy with garden walks and the decision to get the tomatoes and peppers in the ground for sure.  I had good adding stuff from last year so it was an easy go.                Once it was only blue.  Then yellow came along. I saw pink at Lowe's this week. Hybridizing! But before that happened I was off to see my CPap Machine doctor Yung. We had a fairly good session until it came to a question...Are you taking iron pills.  Well, no.  They were prescribed a few ...

                                               An evening picture with lighting coming from the west. This morning was the morning to plant zinnias, STATE FAIR Zinnias.  They are tall and beautiful but there is a moment when I'm sad to treat them harshly only to make them become wonderful.  After they adjust to planting and they start to grow, it's time to snip their tops off.  My goodness.  It hurts me as much as it hurts them.  But the good thing is that snip encourages them to branch out to support more flowers.  The wait for flowers is a little longer but in the long run, it's a good thing.                                    Surviving the first day in the ground.  More days to grow are on the way. Now t...