Wishes and Whims: The Stuff Gardens are Made Of

I am up early, wanting to get one last post in for the next week. We are having a family reunion here next week end. Company arrives Friday morning and will be here until Tuesday, so we have been very busy trying to get everything done. Today, another trip to town to buy groceries. I will cook and bake today. For the reunion picnic, we have 21, 12 adults and 9 children ages 11 to 2. We will serve barbecue brisket. Everyone will spend the night Saturday night, with out of state company staying in the house. Jen and her family will set up housekeeping in their camping trailer and Heather and James will sleep in our camper. The 3 boys will actually camp out in the backyard. Jacob is a Boy Scout, so he can teach two younger boys how to camp. 

Boone Doggle Update: Max learned in his old age that it was much easier to ride the EZ GO than it was to try to run to keep up with us. We have been trying to teach the new dog to ride the cart. He is getting better, but at 8 months, he'd rather run with his hunting dog nose to ground catching scent of everything.

We will have a good old fashioned cook out with hamburgers, hot dogs, and smokes. The Head Gardener surprised me with this fire pit in a chunk of Garden Spot real-estate that is another weed patch, so he did some major weed pulling. I am so excited about having my family here.



Another project was to get this hunk a garden bed put back together after the patio and pergola were added. This has always been such a headache, growing nothing but weeds. With new soil added, I was able to finally decide what to do with it: plant lots of succulents for a rock garden.

Look at this little darling: Heron's Bill, a miniature cranes bill. I bought three at Lowe's. Note to self: Stay out of Lowe's garden center the rest of the summer. (Probably not happening because Lowe's has such wonderful prices.)

If you are lily lover, look at this little charmer, a miniature lily that grows pond side in the front courtyard.

The rose party continues: This little rose is the only original plant left in the court yard from previous owners. It just blooms its little heart out and look at the variety of stages each bloom goes through.

St. Patrick has but one bloom and it is a beauty. The Saint seems to be struggling this year.



David Austin Climber James Galway finally showed up to the Rose Party. I love the gentle pink. This blooms rests on a moss rock at pond's edge. Love the textures and colors in this photo.


Not to be outdone by the other roses, Shropshire Lad has begun to bloom. This delicate peach David Austin has wonderful color, a sweet scent, and crisp green leaves.









On the other side of the wall from the Lad, I have a mess. The clematis has gone wild, chocking out the sweet miniature white rose underneath. It is over taking Gertrude. I don't know what to. Once it stops blooming, cut it back I suppose.

We finally moved the water lilies from the horse tank to the pond in the back. This white one always blooms every year, while the pink and yellow don't always bloom. I have seven in the pond with one more left in the horse tank that needs to be divided and repotted.

New to the water garden this year is Rosy Clouds, a winter hardy lotus. I purchased it the first part of May at the Denver Botanical Gardens spring sale. For a month and half it has been on my kitchen counter. I wondered if it were even alive, but look at the new growth.

Potting water plants is so easy. I think that they are a half step up from a water weed for they require only regular garden soil, no compost, no mulch, nothing but soil.

I placed the plant on top if the soil, not burying the tuber or roots, but covering them with a layer of pea gravel to keep the soil from leaching into the pond and to keep the plant from floating away.

What a trooper the Head Gardener is. He indulges so many of my garden wishes and whims. He puts on his neoprene fishing wadders and in he goes to place Rosy. She, of course, is a soft pink.

There will be another shout heard round the yard when Rosy's first leaf floats on the water's surface.

The peonies are winding down now. Blooming last is the pink one. The peonies have been so beautiful this year. I wish they lasted all summer.

We will have home made ice cream for the reunion, so I have been picking strawberries every night and putting them in the freezer. Last night I picked a very nice handful.

Sundance hurries to get his favorite dining spot for his evening meal. 

My next post will be after all of the company has left. I have taken so many photos this week as we get each garden project finished, but there just isn't time or space right now to show it all. So I will be back in in July after the party is over and I have my sanity back. 

Here's hoping that all of your gardening wishes and whims are coming true. Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave cool comments. I will be reading them and maybe commenting if I am up early enough to beat the breakfast crowd.

Have a great week end. Now to get dressed and head to town.