I’ve loved reading the different perspectives of our blogging extravaganza. Julia speaks eloquently of our time together, and on the power and importance of celebration.
Gardening
Sowing Mysteries and Garden Sprawl
Have you ever planted one of those seed assortments that promise extraordinary results with no effort? According to the package, a jaw-dropping butterfly garden will appear within a matter of weeks. All you have to do is scatter the seeds in the soil, cover, water and enjoy.
I’ve fallen for the sales pitch twice now and I should know better. It seems irresistible when you see the photo on the packet with 100 square feet (30 meters) of wildflowers. In my experience, ‘thousands of seeds’ turn out to be one, maybe two hardy plants. The end.
Or is it?
I present to you, garden sprawl.
Both Love-in-a-mist
Love-in-a-mist edging the sidewalk
I love this self-made border
Love-in-a-mist fills in all the space around the Sweet Peas, California Poppies, and Statice
and Four o’clocks
Four O’clock, time to wake up
Four O’clock, the long view
have sown themselves throughout the garden. They’ve traveled from the front to the back of the house, filling in the spaces in between. I even saw a few in the neighborhood on our evening walk. Those seeds get around!
They’re all welcome in my garden, with their tender greens, pops of yellow and soon, love-in-a-mist lavender blooms.
We’re on strict water restrictions as we work our way through year four of the drought. So far, the seedlings are getting by on morning dew and an occasional watering. We’re turning off the sprinklers to the lawn completely and hope to eventually replace lawn with a native alternative.
Meanwhile, I’m enjoying these unexpected gifts and their presence in my arid garden.
What’s the water situation in your neck of the woods?
While I Was Away
It was fun returning home from our blogging extravaganza to a garden bursting with new growth.
My blooming garden
After a week on the chillier east coast, I learned a few things. According to my calendar, spring arrived on March 20th, but the east coast remained in a deep chill. Those east-coast daffodils know a thing or two and chose to remain warm and cozy in the ground.
Here in California our daffodils shot up in February along with the hyacinths and other spring bulbs. Their east-coast cousins waited till warmer temperatures prevailed. I got to experience the joy of smiling daffodils twice in the same year.
Spring in Laurie’s garden: Forsythia, Daffodils, Dogwood and Redbud
What could be better than two springs in one year?
Just this: spending time with an extraordinary group of women, talking, laughing and preparing food, seeing the sites and sharing our stories and marveling at our good fortune. I spent over a week nestled in a cocoon of dear friends, all met through blogging. It’s difficult to convey an experience this profound, without succumbing to the treacle of sentimentality.
I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.
Georgetown: with Laurie, Boomdee, Pauline, (Yours Truly) and Julia. Julia of Defeat Despair graciously hosted us at her home and kept us updated on the status of the cherries coming into bloom
More bloggers = more fun. Lunch at Clyde’s in Georgetown
A brief stop in North Garden, Virginia, welcomed with open arms by Shelley who blogs at Peak Perspective.
Time in Radford, Virginia hosted by Laurie of Life on the Bike and Other Fab Things
An afternoon at Draper Mercantile
Washington D.C. with Lisa, Pauline and Boomdee
Note: Just for fun, I created a travelogue using the site Traveller’s Point. I included the destinations, who joined us and when, links to their blogs and more. WordPress does not support embedding, but you can view it at this link if interested.
The Traveling Bloggers:
Gardening Nirvana
Life on the Bike and Other Fab Things
The Blog Connections:
Bloggers, Cherry Blossoms, and Memorials
It will take some time to digest all the wonderful experiences of this past ten days, but I wanted to share Lisa’s perspective on our last two days in D.C. Lisa acted as our guide through the Washington Mall, enhancing our remarkable experience. Thank you, Lisa.
In the past week, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting people whose blogs I follow. It’s been amazing. They came from nearby in Virginia as well as California, Canada, and New Zealand. We began with a lunch party organized by Laurie of Life on the Bike who then whisked Alys, Kelly, and Pauline away to Radford for a few days.
The blossoms that have their own festival!
On their return to DC, they wanted to see the Cherry Blossoms down at the Tidal Basin, so I met them at their hotel in Dupont Circle and proceeded to walk their legs off. First we visited Einstein at the National Academy of Sciences. Since I work nearby, Einstein is often a lunch companion in good weather.
Kelly had some things to impart to Einstein. He seems to be listening.
Then Alys took this photo of Pauline, me and Kelly schmoozing with the great…
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Bloggers: The Most Incredible Gathering of Friends!
I’ve descended on D.C. and wish you were all here to share in this extraordinary experience. I feel like I’m in a cocoon, wrapped in the joy of spending time with fellow bloggers from around the world. We’ve been hosted by Julia of Defeat Despair, Shelly of Peak Perspective and Laurie of Life on the Bike. Here is a virtual postcard of sorts, shared via Laurie. xox
We’ve all said it, and many of you have as well.
WordPress Blogging has become so much more than we ever thought it would be. What started out as travel diary, forum for writing, sharing of photography, enlightenment about art, gardening, or crafting, or keeping up with family has become a community of international friends.
Over the last several days, 8 WP bloggers from 3 countries and 2 states, have met in various locations to continue in person, the relationships that have been forged through the world of blogging.
Laurie, Boomdee, Pauline, Alys, and Julia in Old Town Alexandria.
We marveled that while most of us had never met each other, we talked and laughed as if we’d known each other for years.
Which, of course, we had.
Laurie, Stacy, Boomdee, Alys, Lisa, Pauline, and Patty in Georgetown
What might have seemed unusual to…
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Sweet Peas: Art, Friendship and Second Chances
When my boys were young, Sweet Pea was a favorite term of endearment. They’re teenagers now, so pet names are the kiss of death. I still think it in my head though, especially this time of year.
Sweet Friends
Sweet Pea seeds and the beautiful gift bag
Last year my kindred spirit sent me several packets of sweet pea seeds from up north. I planted them in a few places, to see what worked best. A few came up in the pots out back, but they died back quickly, challenging my garden mojo, They’re supposed to grow like wild flowers. We mused that perhaps they weren’t properly adapted for our hotter climate and chalked it up to experience.
Guess what? They’re back. They’re also bigger and brighter and happily growing in the garden. Don’t you love second chances?
These soft yellow buds opened to lavender flowers
Delicate but strong
Flowers refreshed
This isn’t the first time I’ve planted seeds, that do so-so in the first year, then come on strong a year later. Look at them grow!
Artful Friends
Artist Nicole Meredith created The Flower Map as a way of fundraising for her own healing treatments. I met Nicole through a mutual friend and have followed her journey for several years. As her health improved, she launched The Flower Map. I purchased a handful of cards from her Etsy shop, to send and to give as gifts.
To my delight, Nicole sent me one of her original water colors as a gift. My cup overflows! I framed the sweet pea watercolor, both for its beauty and for the reminder that Nicole, too, is improving and getting her second chance at a healthy life. Her Etsy shop is currently ‘taking a break.’ Nicole, sending healing thoughts your way and thank you once again for this lovely gift.
I’m not the only one who’s in love with sweet peas. Show some blogging love and have a look:
- Silk and Threades writes beautifully about her own experiences. Check out The Tendrils of the Sweet Pea.
- Take a look at Cathy’s beautiful vase and field of wild sweet peas (be still my heart) at Words and Herbs.
- Bloom or Bust has a great idea for trailing sweet peas. She also used them in her wedding, which I think is the sweetest of all.
If you’re viewing this in ‘real time’, have a look at my Descending on D.C. widget to the right. Can you believe it? It’s counting down the hours, not days. I’m so excited.
Three’s A Charm: San Francisco Flower & Garden Show
On the first day of Spring this year I joined my friend Candace for the annual San Francisco Flower & Garden Show. We’ve decided that after attending for three years running, it’s officially a tradition. This year’s theme: Mother Nature Going Wild
Tumble Leaf No 4 Sculpture
The display gardens are the heart and soul of this show and they are really something to behold. Although they aren’t all necessarily my style, I appreciate the thought that goes into each one. It takes tremendous time and energy to install the garden displays in the middle of an indoor event center. They haul in plants, trees, soil and structures and in many cases paving stones, gravel and tile.
As you walk through each one, it’s fun to imagine what it might be like in the ‘real’ world.
There were fewer gardens then in past years with many of them focused on succulents or low-water use gardens. I also spoke with a gentlemen who designs a lot of water features and learned that a properly installed water feature uses less water than drought tolerant plants. Of course flowing water attracts all sorts of birds and beneficial insects and is a key component of a healthy garden. Who doesn’t want a garden filled with butterflies, birds and bees? I’ve already designed one…in my head anyway.
Here are three of my favorites:
Transformation: Hugelkultur Technique Garden Designer: Nathan Beeck and Juan Chavez Garden Creators: Clearwater Design
Transformation is based on the landscape elements of Hugelkultur
“using landscape waste into new organically rich soil and an underground sponge that holds moisture and encourages the development of a mycorrhizal web of life. – Program Statement
Growing an Artful Garden, Garden Designer: Max & Joanne Nagaele Garden Creator: Foothill Design
Growing an Artful Garden was full of whimsy and charm. We’re sitting at a table with a garden cake made of greenery. If you look closely you’ll see a slice. The program statements says:
The vibe is serendipity. The ornamental garden, vegetable garden and the vintage potting shed provides the viewer with a vibrant tableau.
Don’t you want to stay awhile?
Beauty Gone Wild Garden Designer: Benjamin Goulart Garden Creators: Goulart Designs
Beauty Gone Wild’s design features
Gaia, the great mother of all: the primal Greek Mother Goddess, creator and giver of birth to the Earth and the Universe. She is the personification of nature itself, and we are creating her with nature itself in our garden.
I fell in love with this gorgeous fountain, and haven’t stopped thinking about it for a week. The soothing flow of water held me captive.
In addition to the garden displays, there are two other pavilion halls housing plants, trees and seeds for sale. A couple of hobbyist groups showed off Bonsai plants that were upwards of fifty years old. If those plants could talk!
There were plenty of gadgets for sale too, but nothing I couldn’t live without. We did leave with several bags of freshly made kettle and caramel corn, and put a serious dent in one of the bags during the 45 minute ride home. Yum!
Have you ever been to a garden show? If not, I highly recommend it.
A Little of This and That
I’ve been puttering in the garden here and there over the past week, but I still haven’t put together a plan for the summer. I pruned a hedge and pulled a few weeds but my busy schedule hasn’t allowed for much more.
The purple hyacinths have now taken the place of the pink ones. The dark pink freesia is still in bloom
As we enter year four of our drought, water restrictions are increasing. According to the state water agency, 44% of residential water use is outdoors. We’re now restricted to watering once every three days, using the odd/even method based on home address, and we can only water before 6 am or after 6 pm.
I’ve left both vegetable beds empty for now. My original plan was to leave one box empty and plant some tomatoes and basil in the other. I love fresh tomatoes and basil and know that we’ll eat them all summer long. The tomatoes, however, have sprouted all over the garden, self-planting like they did last year. Instead of moving the plants, we’re going to add drip irrigation to the viable plants and see how it goes.
Self-planting tomatoes
Last fall I sheet-mulched one half of the lawn, but the process is still ongoing. The grass died off as planned and much of the material is decomposing, but with so little rain, it’s taking longer than planned for it all to decompose. It’s not very pretty, is it?
Sheet mulch in process
Comically, I have a pair of potato plants growing in the midst of the sheet mulch. It will be interesting to see if the plant flowers since it’s in the shade most of the day.
Potatoes volunteered in the mulch
As the bright yellow daffodils begin to fade, a second group of plantings are taking their place. They’re two-toned and a bit shorter, but just as lovely. I’ve had great success with bulbs once I figured out what the squirrels don’t like, namely narcissus (daffodils), and hyacinth.
Daffodils transition in the curb garden
Narcissus in the curb garden
We had a bit of rain overnight, and woke to a refreshed garden. That was a wonderful surprise. I only wish I hadn’t slept through it.
I hope your week is off to a good start.
Garden Curiosities
My garden is full of curiosities. Come have a look.
This is the only snapdragon to survive the winter. I don’t know why this survived, but it sure is pretty.
Overwintered snapdragon
If you take a closer look though, the plant below the flowers looks terrible. Dots of black, sooty material coat the leaves, an as-yet to be determined garden pest. Curious.
Snapdragon infestation
Our aging orange tree produces an impressive amount of fruit, but they’re not very sweet. The rats, however love them and lay waste to a half a dozen oranges a day. Somehow they overlooked the larger orange. It grew like the heart of the Grinch on Christmas day.
The orange that ate New York
Since we live in California, we keep an up to date earthquake emergency kit, stored under my potting bench in the backyard. The lower bin holds water, blankets and a first aid kit, and the top bin stores canned goods and assorted items. The bins remain disguised but at the ready if we ever need them.
I use the top of the potting bench to stage some of my photos and in the summer it doubles as a buffet for outdoor meals.
Well.
Apparently some unknown critter had the same idea. Just under the top of the bench I found a mass of hollow snail shells. Do you think the snails hide there by day, providing a tasty buffet for a night dweller, or do you think the night dweller brings them there for his meal?
Potting bench, earthquake storage and a place where snails go to die
Outdoor earthquake kit
Snail evisceration
I was home alone one morning this week when I heard scratching on the living room window. Yikes. I screwed up the courage to investigate and saw a goldfinch repeatedly fluttering into the window. This went on for most of the afternoon and on into the second day.
We have ultraviolet decals on the windows to discourage flying accidents. Some birds will fly straight into the window thinking the reflection is more blue sky. The decal alerts the bird and prevents injury. But this was different. Over and over again, he would fly up to the window from his resting branch, and without injuring himself, flutter his wings on the glass.
I did a bit of reading and learned that the birds small brain thinks the reflection is a competitor. This exhausted little bird has been defending his territory for two days…against himself. I taped a large piece of red plastic to the glass and it broke the spell. Curious indeed.
Ultraviolet window decal, barely visible from indoors but highly visible to the birds
Here’s the view from the tree.
Goldfinch nemesis: His own reflection
While cleaning up oranges from under the tree, I made the mistake of drawing back the branches of a fern. I wonder who’s living in that hole? I released the branches of the fern and backed away. I’m curious but, not that curious.
Anybody home?
Finally, what’s more curious than a cat named Mouse licking dew drops from the edge of a daffodil while a little snail travels down the center of the bloom?
Mouse, always curious
Blogging 101, Day Ten: Build and display your blog roll.
Please have a look at my sidebar and see if you find something of interest. Then click away. If you’ve been blogging for a while you know that comments and blogrolls are the spice of the blogging community. Belly up to the table and enjoy.
Blogging 101: What’s in a Name?
Today’s assignment is assertive and succinct: Take Control of Your Title and Tagline
The title Gardening Nirvana and the tag line pics and prose sit undisturbed at the top of my blog. They’ve been holding hands since May, 2011. I briefly altered my tag line last October in honor of Halloween but the following month I put everything back, nice and tidy. Nearly four years and over 800 posts later, it fits like a well-worn garden glove.
So, what’s in a name? If I were selling something, I might have put more thought into a catchy title. Instead, I joined two words from the dictionary and called it a day. I planned to write about my experiences gardening and the joy that comes from putting your hands in the earth, hence:
gardening [ˈgɑːdənɪŋ]
noun: the planning and cultivation of a garden
nir·va·na (nîr-vän, nr-)
noun: An ideal condition of rest, harmony, stability, or joy.
When the winter months rolled around that first year, I had a bit of a freak out: what would I write about during the more dormant months?
I needn’t have worried. Once I hit my stride and developed a blogging community, the subject of my posts didn’t matter. It was more about sharing my experiences in and out of the garden. Local hikes, a trip to Victoria, and our Little Free Library all made it into the blog. I’ve shared personal essays, linked up with other bloggers and even shared one or two do-it-yourself projects.
And with that, I think I’ve written my new tag line: sharing my journey in and out of the garden.
As for a new title, I still don’t know. My tag cloud makes one thing crystal clear: the word Gardening still stands out from the crowd.
- You can learn more about Blogging University or Blogging 101 at The Daily Post
- Catching up on this week’s posts: Blogging 101: Rekindling the Passion
Gardening Nirvana 
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