A Gardener's Christmas Tree

If you take even a brief look around this blog...you'll soon discover that I'm a gardener.  I never fail to be completely gob-smacked (my favorite British expression) by the miracle of a flower.  I miss my garden in the Winter.  

And so...years ago, I began to collect glass Christmas ornaments with a fruit and flower theme...to bring a little of the garden miracle into our Christmas celebration.  Every year, The Mailman and I head down to the cutest little local tree lot...and select a fresh Michigan-grown Frazier Fir to display my growing collection.  TM (with the patience of a saint) sets it up for me in a five-gallon bucket...anchored with field stones...filled with water...and disguised with a wicker basket.

Tiny white lights...a sheer golden garland...sparkling clear glass icicles and balls...and silk hydrangea blooms form the foundation for my Gardener's Christmas Tree.

My beloved Clothique angel.  I've had her for at least 30 years...and she hasn't aged a bit!

A great big golden treble clef...and three matching eighth-notes...since we LOVE traditional Christmas music.  (I'm talking Vienna Boys' Choir here...NOT Alvin and the Chipmunks!)

A sweet little bird nests inside a mirrored blue ball.  Did you know it's "good luck" to have a bird's nest in your Christmas tree?  I'm not a big believer in luck...but I always give this little bird a prominent position...just in case!

Glittering golden cornucopias filled with fruit. These are the first ornaments I purchased...long before I even had a garden!

Beautiful burgundy-rose pomegranates. 

Blue and lavender pansy blossoms...and green pistachio nuts.  At least that's what I think they are.

Golden pine cones...circa 1990's from Eddie Bauer.  There are also ball ornaments, mushrooms and walnuts in this set...all glass.

A sneaky little squirrel has found his way into the mix.  Probably after my pistachios and walnuts! 

Snowy white amaryllis...a Christmas classic.

Pink Bleeding Heart, from a couple of years ago...my newest addition. 

And at the base...The Holy Family...another treasured Clothique creation from Possible Dreams.  When I purchased these...probably in the late '80's or early '90's...there was also a Shepherd and Wise Men to make a complete Nativity.  But...budget did not permit.  And now...they are nowhere to be found.







This year...I have my eye on some little glass birds...Cardinals, Goldfinches, Chickadees...just like the ones that visit the feeders outside this window.  

And even though we aren't big on Christmas gifting in our family...I think our tree looks a bit "naked" underneath.  So...I'm planning to wrap some empty boxes with a beautiful Hallmark angel-themed gift paper I've been hoarding for years...accented with velvet bows and old sheet music.  If I finish this project (BIG IF), I'll post a picture!

And there you have it...a Gardener's Christmas Tree!  Thank you for allowing me to share it with you!

Immortality

If you've been following me since last Spring, you know that my favorite flowers are the tall German Irises.  I have lots of them in my garden...and last June, I blogged about them here.  Well, a couple of them are re-bloomers...and have been blessing us with some beautiful blossoms in the cool Fall weather.  This variety is called "Immortality"...and this is it's third bloom...with two more buds that will open if the weather doesn't get too terribly cold.  Isn't it beautiful?  I love the contrast between these delicate white petals and the faded foliage of the surrounding plants.  One last bit of loveliness before the garden goes to sleep for the Winter.   

Summer's Last

This long, HOT Summer has been hard on the garden...AND the gardener.  And yet, these amazing plants continue to bloom...and while some of them are not exactly flourishing...they're still beautiful enough for me to do a little bragging!

This is the Autumn Clemitis (actually two) that grows on our perennial garden arbor.  FINALLY...we have bloomage up and over.  And I cannot tell you how WONDERFUL it smells!  It's taken me probably 8 to 10 years to get it to look like this.  And guess what?  NOW I have seedlings of this everywhere...growin' like weeds!

Late season ground-cover roses in pale pink.  

"Clara Curtis" Chrysanthemum.  This is a great "weaver"...to grow among taller, spindlier plants.  Next year, I'm going to try this under the roses.

"Immortality" Bearded Iris (a re-bloomer.)  Usually, my re-blooming Iris show up much later in the Fall.  This recently transplanted beauty didn't bloom this past Spring...so I think it's making up for lost time. 

 


Sedum...one of the most reliable plants in the garden.  The butterflies love this. 

Gaura "Whirling Butterflies"...

...and Russian Sage.  I struggled for years to grow these last two...unfortunately, they don't like our heavy clay soil.  However, I'm pleased to say that they seem to be happy in their home in the front garden...at last!

And here's Rusty...peeking out from under the Plumbago that grows by our front step.  I've heard that if you can't grow Plumbago, you'd better move to the city.  Well...for awhile there, I thought I was city-bound!  Thankfully, it seems to have taken hold...and now it's my favorite Fall bloomer! 




And there you have it...an early Fall garden tour!  How did your garden fare this year?

HOTPOCALYPSE

This is what The Mailman is calling our insufferable heat wave.  Hotpocalypse.  And since he's out walking in it every day...who am I to argue?  So...Hotpocalypse it is.  

It's HOT!  These are the kinds of Summers I remember from my childhood...days in the nineties...no respite at night...and no rain.  When I began composing this post, I thought about showing you the fried lawn...the singed Hostas...the flower beds in desperate need of weeding and dead-heading and trimming and watering.  But then I realized that you probably have plenty of that in your own yards.  So instead, I thought I would show you what's right in my world.  Believe it or not...there ARE some positives to a heatwave!  So...grab a glass of lemonade...sit back...and enjoy!

Apparently, Japanese Beetles don't like hot, dry weather either!  These are the same Hydrangeas I showed you here.  The blossoms have aged to a beautiful, soft chartreuse green...and most Summers, the beetles would have devoured them by now.  Along with the roses.  This year, I've seen only a handful of the nasty things...and I hope they continue to stay away!

Not ALL the flowers are languishing.  The little Prairie garden around our goldfish pond is actually doing quite well.  Here, Purple Cone-flower, Black-Eyed-Susan and Butterfly Weed flourish happily in the heat. 

And I have NEVER been able to grow eggplant, bell pepper and tomato plants like these.  Granted, it has taken some diligent watering on my part...but these heat-lovers are rewarding my efforts with...

...crisp, green peppers... 

...sweet, juicy tomatoes... 

...and beautiful baby eggplant.  Tonight, I'm trying a new recipe...roasted baby eggplant with tomato and Parmesan cheese.  Kinda makes me wish I hadn't whacked down all the basil...some Pesto would probably taste good with this. 

Our freezer is stocked with sweet corn...

...and blueberries.

Since the heat has me holed up inside, I've managed to complete a few things for my Etsy Shop... 

...and last, but not least...I'm trying to remember that not everyone is a heat-hater.










This morning, it rained.  And...as I sat out in the shelter of our garage with my thunderstorm-loving dog, Bonnie...I was thankful.  Thankful for the rain...for my little companion beside me...for the sturdy roof over our heads...and for the egg and sausage breakfast we shared.  Life is good...and a little bit of heat doesn't change that!

Thank you for visiting me today!  And remember...leave out a glass of iced tea for the mailman!

Summer Garden

Happy Summer!  Is yours flying by as quickly as mine?  I'm afraid I haven't quite kept up with the pictures of my little perennial garden.  The "Stella D'Oro" and "Happy Returns" daylilies have come and gone (a little disappointing this year...probably time for a divide)...the Spirea has completed it's first flush of bloom...and some of the earlier-blooming plants are ready for a haircut!

This is the garden as it looks right now...with the Summer blooms taking center stage.  For a peek at how it looked earlier in the year, look here...here...and here.

I love to try different plant combinations.  My biggest challenge is getting my chosen companions to bloom at the same time.  Here's a pretty combo that actually works!  Blue Globe Thistle...red Bee Balm...and "Becky" Shasta Daisy make a patriotic centerpiece for the summer garden.  

See the dragonfly?  It's a sprinkler in disguise!  I found it at Home Depot several years ago.  It's solid copper...was only ten bucks...and is the PERFECT size to water this little patch.  My only regret is that I didn't get TWO! 

This is my favorite Daylily..."Gypsy Skirt."  Not only is she beautiful...but she comes from the garden where The Mailman and I were married!

I love aged copper in the garden.  This birdbath was a "retirement" gift from TM...special-delivered right to my work station on my last day! 

The purple blooming spikes are Laitris...or Blazing Star...unusual because they bloom from the top down...instead of from the bottom up.

This violet-purple climber is Clematis "Jackmanii"...happily growing on my copper obelisk.  

I'd admired these columns in garden catalogs...but they were extremely cost-prohibitive...even several years ago, when copper was still fairly reasonable.  Not a problem.  Armed with some copper tubing, a little bit of know-how and a bunch of creativity...my fearless hubbin created one just for me...complete with a fancy-schmancy toilet float finial!  

Here's the view from the garden gate.  I had to trim back the creeping phlox, as we were losing our walking space!

And here's the view from outside the fence.  We love summer suppers out on the patio...under the umbrella...so peaceful.  Just to the right...a glimpse of our water garden...which is TM's domain.  I should introduce you to our fish sometime!





And there you have it!  I had a lovely time...I hope you did, too!

Front Door Garden

Today, I had intended to post an update about the little side-yard perennial garden I've been sharing with you...but after a couple of weeks of heat and rain, it looks like an absolute JUNGLE.  A major weeding is on the agenda for tomorrow morning.  

So...I thought you might enjoy a little peek at our front door garden.  This is what you'll see if you ever decide to knock on my door.  We reconfigured the front walk and drive way several years ago...and planted this little garden.  As always...some of the plants thrived...and some did not...eventually settling into this combination that seems to work quite well.  

The big fluffy Petunias in the foreground are a Wave variety called "Sugar Bell."  The soil in this little spot in HEAVY clay...and refused to support any of the perennials I tried... so an annual container planting was an easy solution.

The little yellow bird feeder sits under the kitchen windows...and I can watch the Cardinals and
Goldfinches while I'm cooking.

This is the view from the front porch...looking down the drive.  I clear this myself in the Winter...by hand...with my trusty snow shovel...all the way to the street.  Because I don't trust anyone else around my plants.  Go ahead...call me crazy.  You won't be the first one!

The Mailman found this sweet little chair on the curb.  Someone had tossed it out with the trash...so we gave it a home amidst the flowers.  

This little fountain sits at the end of the walk.  We collected the stones over several years of trips to Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Lake Superior.  I've always loved a "pretty rock"...and the colors in these are just amazing.  See the three carved stones?  We found these at the Covered Bridge Festival in Parke County, Indiana.  We have "Bonnie," "Clyde" and "Copelan"...which is a mis-spelling of our last name. 

Here's a pretty combination of blooms..."Stella d'Oro" daylily, "Johnson's Blue" hardy geranium and pink groundcover roses.  When I planted these, I hoped that they would all bloom at the same time...but the geraniums are always ahead of the others.  These few blossoms are the last for this season.

I love these hydrangeas...an oak-leaf variety called "Pee Wee."  I've planted them under all the bedroom windows...and on a pretty day, when the windows are open and the breeze is blowing in...the fragrance is just heavenly!  This variety is easy-peasy to grow...and is a reliable bloomer (at least for me). 

Careful...there's a weenie dog hiding in the blue plumbago.  I think he sees... 

...a SQUIRREL!  Which is pretty much an everyday occurrence around here! 








And there you have it!  I hope you enjoyed this little tour...and please come back again!

Wednesday Morning in the Garden

This morning...I braved the heat, humidity and mosquitoes...fashionably attired in The Mailman's heaviest sweatpants...my down-filled snow-shoveling jacket zipped up to my ears...a fleece hat pulled down to my eyebrows...and reeking of "eau d'Off."  A stunning sight for the neighbors, I'm sure.  The past few 90+ degree days have been hard on my container plants and raised-bed veggie garden...so I wanted to water them before the heat of the day set in.  Dedicated blogger that I am, I also managed to snap a few pics between swats.

The perennial Foxglove is blooming against the garage wall.  I love this pale, lemon-y yellow color.  It's first year in this location...and it seems to be pretty happy...so I'm thinking of planting the taller, biennial variety behind it, as a companion.  

These purple spikes are Salvia...growing along the gravel path.   They've been in this spot for at least ten years...and are one of my most reliable bloomers.

I LOVE salad...and could eat it morning, noon and night.  This mix of lettuces has provided us with several good meals already.  Tonight...it's Chicken-Bacon Ranch Salad...with chicken breast, bacon, cherry tomatoes, avocado and Ranch dressing.  Perfect for a light supper on a hot day. 

The Mailman and I try to obtain our food from local sources...as much as possible, anyway.  So...I thought I would show off my locally-sourced breakfast!  Fresh brown eggs (from Brick House Eggs, just down the road)...homemade pork sausage (from a fellow on the mail route)...and blueberries (me-picked last July at Berry Hill Farms).


The iced vanilla coffee is not local...but it is homemade...and since I drink one every morning, I thought I should include it.  Truth in blogging, and all.

Isn't this the fattest chipmunk you've ever seen?  He's discovered The Mailman's stash of squirrel corn in the garage and has been helping himself.  After he's eaten his fill, he stretches out on the back of this bistro chair.  This morning...after several days of trying...I managed to snap his pic through the glass. 

Yesterday, I found these Georgia peaches at the grocery for 98 cents a pound.  OK...not locally sourced...but so, so good...and The Mailman DOES have an Aunt who lives in Marietta.


Last night, I ate TWO of these.  So much for the "fruit-as-garnish" low-carb-way-of-eating I'm trying to follow.  Oh well, better than a pint of Ben and Jerry's, I guess.