Hey Emma!

What,Gramma?

Check out your garden.

You have frog benches!

Huh?

What are frog benches?

That’s what your daddy called toad stools,when he was your age.

He did?

…Weird…

…Sometimes,I wonder about Daddy...

That means there is good stuff under the ground.

---actually,it’s the rotting oak tree ,I think---

For your garden to grow.

It’s a good thing.

W-e-l-l…

….ok,then…

….but I still think Daddy was weird to call them frog benches….

And look at your Queen Emma Crinum.It has babies!

Babies…like I used to be?

‘cause I’m almost a big girl,

like Gina,

…now.

Yes,I know.

Please,don’t grow up too fast,ok?

Ummmm…

….Gramma,I’ll try.

 

…….Soooo,Emma…..

you have almost a grove of Queen Emma Crinums…

Not counting the ones I’m hiding from those mean Lubbers.

I think I don’t like those meanie old Lubbers.

Me,neither.

 

…..And look at the orchids…..

I think your great grandpa would be proud,don’t you?

Yep!

….But.….

Gramma,why don’t you label those orchids?

Because I’m not your Great Grandpa,or your Great Uncle Ross.

…sorry…

That’s ok.They’re still pretty flowers,anyways.

Thank you,Emma,

and thanks for your input.

No problem,Gramma.

Anytime

 

 

Emma,say good gardening to the readers,Emma….

Good gardening,readers!

xoxoxo

Just ‘cuz….

I’m feeling a lull,gardening-wise,lately – more about  that later – but,this afternoon,after a color and cut – amazing what that’ll do,for a girl,right?- I took the camera out and took some shots….

Jasmine…

…..smells divine….!

Love this view of the garden,from this angle.A Bleeding Heart Vine has been moved to grow up the trellis.In the forefront are Hollyhocks,Delphiniums,Louisiana Iris,and Double Red Knockout roses.All intermingled with Giant Liriope and Variegated Flax Lily.

Leaf lettuce,Blue-eyed Grass,Bulbine,and Cuphea….

Pineapple…

 

Angel’s Tears

Backyard visitors…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today-I had to move Dad from his Skilled Nursing Facility to the nursing home section.Earlier this week,I broached the subject with him.That he would not be going back to his ALF apartment.That he needed 24 hour nursing care,which I just was not capable of giving him,at TheGreatWall.His lower lip quivered,and a tear ran down his cheek,but he held my hand and said it was going to be alright.He understood.Much as I hate seeing a man who once dug and built his own swimming pool (with perfect right angles,too) ,built a huge garden with rock walls(he stole –we called it relocating-them all by himself,too!),and built his own greenhouse to house his beloved orchids in.It’s seeing his eye sight fail to the point that all he sees is a blur.Knowing he’ll never get to see his orchids flourishing in their new home.Knowing that he will not get to actually see Emma grow up.When I take him photos,he runs his fingers over them,and says how pretty she is,and how smart she is.Seeing his memory fail.Seeing the man who I have always thought knew everything about gardening,start to leave me.

I hate the long goodbye!

Road Trip!!!

I’m starting to feel like such a slacker….

But when a good friend suddenly announced they were moving from Sanibel Island to San Diego…

…What?!…

Why would anyone wanna do that?….I guess a girl has to do what a girl has to do…

So,slacker that I am,I said goodbye-just for the weekend- to TheGreatWall,packed up the new Tacoma,and headed south,to stay with a good friend…

and say goodbye to one of the classiest ladies I know….

After meeting up at the Sanibel Grill,for drinks,we retired to the Sanibel Café

…thanks Bonnie and Richard…

to say goodbye to this classy lady…

…Gonna miss you,Nancy…

But….

Figuring I needed to deal with my depression,what better way than to go a native plant nursery?

…retail therapy is always a help in dealing with depression,no?

Sooo,off good friend and I go….

To here….

where I bought these…

The Wild Coffee to go under the Norfolk Island Pines-semi-shady and tending to damp(but well drained)-and the Meyer Lemon will go into a large container,in the Roadside Garden.

…and two Tropical Sage plants…

….not planted,yet.But they are in place,under the largest Angel’s Trumpet.

and then…

good friend and I went here…

and ooooo…..

the treasures we saw….

female wild boar…

tillsandia…..id anyone?…Bueller?…

I need an ID here…It looks like a cotton ball….Button Snake Root?

and which Tillsandia is this?

…Lee County only has a few registered (9,I believe).

2 of which are Spanish Moss and Ball Moss.

Eliminating those two,what is this?

Hey!…….Maybe,I’m not such a slacker,after all….

Movin’ on….

I think I’m getting over this reconstruction of TheGreatWall….

The upper level set of steps are in….

…I caved and bought a Lady Palm for the planter…

I still need need to move stepping stones up to that area.

But,today,

I’m pooped!

And I just wanna finish…

…but still make it look right…

Sooo…

…today,I did this…

But I did manage to get out of my lounger,grab the camera and take some photos…

…and I’m thinking the plants are much happier with TheTree gone…

The Angel’s Trumpet that was almost destroyed by TheTree,and the pool renovation,is covered in buds.Earliest ever it has done this.It must like the landscape…

Blue-Eyed Grass –love,love,love this plant!

Honeysuckle

Society Garlic,against a backdrop of Indian Hawthorne,and the veggie garden…

…bumper crop of lettuce this year….

Melampodium,self-seeded

Stevia,which I grow for the foliage and flowers…

Powder Puff

Red drift Knock-Out Rose,with an orange Gerbara Daisy and St.Bernard’s Lily

Gazania.The only plant,along with the Lady Palm,I have bought so far.

Ground orchid.

This is the first year it has ever re-bloomed.

Told ya they liked the new garden!

And Miss Emma has returned to a new garden.She is still overlooking her Queen Emma Crinum,but this time she is surrounded by variegated creeping jasmine,pink Knock Out Roses,a Coontie Palm,and a dwarf Euonymous…

My garden?

Yep,Emma…

…it is especially for you.

Yea!!!!

Hope everyone has a great gardening week.

Gotta love this Florida Spring weather.

Remember to stop and smell the flowers in your garden.

One More Job Done….

The steps are finally finished!

YessireeBob!

 

.…even though Bob didn’t help one lick!….

 

Take a gander….

From a better angle…

Mondo Grass is planted in front of the blocks.With hopes,that,eventually,it will fill in the gaps.

 

A large section of the pathway,to the garden shed and well, has been straightened and raised….

Creating a larger garden area….

Planted with Indian Hawthorne (for a barrier between the veggie garden and the rest of the yard),Giant Liriope,variegated Liriope,Society Garlic,and more Mondo Grass for edging.Rain Lilies and a Blackberry Lily are also planted in this bed.They were planted here,before TheTree went down,and they have done quite well,so,here,they shall stay.

The upper area has been mulched,with Melaluca mulch.

 

Creating a pathway in front of the raised gardens…

The lower raised bed,has yellow African Irises-moved from the Roadside Garden,self-sown Melampodium,and some garlic and onion sets.

 

As I go along,I’ve been transplanting,weeding beds,and spreading compost and mulch,so it’s taking a little longer than I planned.Isn’t that always the case?

 

Hopefully…

 

…if life doesn’t get in the way…

 

next up,will be the main level….

 

I think I need gravel….

 

lots

and

lots

of gravel !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dad update:The plan is for him to leave the skilled nursing facility and return to his ALF,in another week or two.He will be more dependent on a wheelchair,than his walker,which he isn’t taking kindly to.Physically,he’s quite frail (the surgery to fix his hip took more out of him than he cares to admit),but mentally,he’s alert as ever.He’s looking forward to visiting the new pool and HIS orchids’ new home.I have shown him photos and he has expressed that it looks pretty good. He still needs to give his stamp of approval.His room is covered with pictures of a certain someone ….

–Is that Me?-

-yep,you-

which he shows off to everyone.