Various and Sundry of Things

An interesting week here at the Garden Spot. Last Monday late in the day the Head Gardener came home from a meeting announcing that the demolition of the elementary school down the street was under way and that his fifth grade classroom was gone. The next morning I walked the down the block to a watch piece of history go down chuck by mouthful of brick and mortar, metal and concrete.

My children attended the school that served as a elementary school then a middle school, then rooms rented were out to various and sundry business: a municipality, a quilter's workroom, and an exercise group. The Powers That Be at the District office decided that old building had to go to make room for--for? We're heard for bus parking or a practice field. No one really seems to know. I posted a few photos on Face Book and I am sure that I am not the only one to spread the word; however, the District office was inundated with phones calls, some pretty emotional about the loss, some wanting bricks. I asked the nice young man who was spraying water to keep the dust down kindly gave me two bricks for my daughters. They were delighted. 

I spent a few hours in this building, too, as a parent and as substitute teacher. I go remembering the wonderful teachers who taught my children, even my husband such as Mr. and Mrs. Zack who lived just down the street in a grand old Victorian. Mr. Zack now gone was the principal and his wife was the music teacher. The Kopenhafers now retired and living in another town not far away. The math teacher who everyone loved. 

Another big bite.

Rubble

Those three old elms to the left will be gone by day's end.

And this was the memorial to the school nurse, Myrna Fagerberg, possibly the most distressing of the entire project. No one knows where the bench and plaque went to or where they will end up. The HG an I serve on the city museum committee so perhaps the much loved nurse's memorial will go there.

More Things of Interest

I have done well at staying away from the thrift stores, but sometime I just need a fix, so on my last trip I found these vintage demitasse cups. The taller one was made in Germany. I love little cups and saucers, so I could not resist these two.

Most mornings my I eat yogurt with a banana. I had to snap this of the sad banana. Totally accidental. Photo worthy, blog suitable, Face Book appropriate wouldn't you say? 

In the Garden

 

I found this cute little guy at Hobby Lobby on clearance. He has to be in a cage because he is incline to fall over. As a young child my imagination was captured everything we drove past a certain house that had a wooden giraffe head peering over the tall row of ornamental bushes. Now I have my own cursoity in the garden.

Knophia or Red Hot Poker is a favorite here. I just wish that they lasted longer. When they were first planted, they had full sun. Now they are in deep shade and probably should be moved. I transplanted them from the old house, so I am lucky that they are still alive.

You know how I am about pink, but I enjoy this bright orange geum.

The landscape at the Garden Spot is evolving. Both of these gardens when we moved here were in full sun, now they are cool shade. I am especially proud of the hostas. I would like to add more.

We are never lacking holly hocks since they plant themselves. This one grows all on its own at the corner of the barn, the late afternoon filtering through.

The waterlilies, too, are in full bloom, looking pretty along with the water hyacinth that is blooming and the water lettuce that is spreading.

Happy Birthday, Lily Ann

She is now five, ready for kindergarten, has started to learn how to read. Her mama made this Dollar Store rag mop stick horse.

This week I am preparing for our rare get away to visit friends in Texas. We have to make sure to have someone come in to look after all of the critters and plants. It's a big job. 

I was warmed by your encouragement about keeping the blog. Thank you for standing by me. I don't intend to fade away; I will keep on blogging, but I am considering Instagram, too.

Wishing you a great week. Thanks for stopping by. Linking with Maggie at Normandy Life. See you there.

Sometimes You Just Have to take A Chance

The dog days of summer are upon us here in northern Colorado with temperatures expected to reach 95. Fortunately we do not have the humidity that many parts of the country have and generally we have a breezed that keeps the air moving, so you will find me a good part of the day on my patio enjoying bird song and the beauty of summer.

The drip system that Heather and the Head Gardner install for me Mother's Day has made all the difference in begin able to maintain beautiful hanging baskets and potted flowers. Come, let's sit on the patio this morning for a moment.



The patio is on the back side of the house, facing east, so we get full moving sun and shade in the afternoon. We had the pergola build three or four years ago and it has taken me a while to turn it into a pleasant outdoor room. I'd love to add an outdoor futon so that we can sleep outside on those hot, stuffy nights. The HG worries about raccoons. Raccoons?  I am thinking mosquitoes.

I found the rug the other day at Bed Bath and Beyond, perfect, and even more so because it was on sale. It was just the pop of color that I needed to pull the area together, to make it cozy. My pot of flowers, vines, and coleus are doing well this summer with consistent watering. I bought this lime hydrangea thinking that it would bloom white, but it is a yummy lime color. I have not planted in the ground; instead, it is living in its container. I am thinking that I will try to overwinter it in the container and store it in the garage. Should I?  I seem to kill them when they are in the ground.

The last photo in the mosaic is random. I took it only because I was amazed at the growth of the trees on the propriety since we moved here. We used to be able to drive the EZ-Go golf cart between these trees and bushes.



So, this is where you will find me on these dog days of summer, ice tea or water hand, a good book, or my laptop reading blogs, or maybe I will fall asleep. Snow Shovel, you ask? Yes that is a snow shovel. It's Colorado. We must be prepared for snow, sleet, and hail.


We have live here eight years. I still miss my old house; in fact, I dreamt about it last night. I go back to that house in my dreams often and in the dream it not being cared for and the new owners are thinking of selling and I'd like to be back there. Then I wake up and realize that I am here at the Garden Spot, still trying after these eight years to make it mine, to make it home.

On a whim, I decoded to reorganize the pantry. I got started late taking the photos, you don't see the real chaos that was taking place on the left. With my pantry, I found that I was just stuffing stuff in it. I would organize and reorganize, and finally Sunday I had had enough of the clutter, so I emptied it out. On the left you the beginning to the emptying out. I had flour for 2010. Lard to make bird cakes that had gone rancid. So I purged

The after photo on the right show a much leaner, more organized pantry where I can actually see what is in there.

I have two sets of melamine summer dishes for the patio, hoards of coffee cups and mugs that I never used, so I boxed up the cup, all except the special ones on the top shelf where I can't reach food items anyway. I put the dishes in the pantry on the top shelf where they are accessible along with the classes and various water containers.

Now all of my canned goods are in the same spot not he same shelf in easy reach. Now I will know when I am out of tomato sauce or beans. I hope I like the new arrangement. It took me eight years to get here.

Back in the garden, I am able to have hanging baskets thanks to a drip system. 

The last of peonies is blooming, this lucious pink one. I love it. Soon it will be gone.

And what would call this rose. You know it: Winchester Cathedral, one of my David Austins that survived the winter. I was shocked first to see that it survived the winter and then that it bloomed and now that is had a touch of pink.

Won't the be beautiful roses?

So that is all I have for today. I am always late. Blogging seems to be getting harder for me to do, but I am not ready to give it up, thought I am considering Instagram since so many of you are also there. I am finding the the dollhouse bloggers are not as conversational as my garden blogging friends and they seem to spend more time on Instagram too. So I may be joining--or not. What do you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by. I am in a bit of rush. The HG told me late yesterday that the old elementary school down the street is being torn down. When I drove by I saw the fence around it and knew that it was scheduled to be razed, so I want to go down to get some last photos of it. My husband when to school there and so did our daughters. Heather, the emotional one, will be devastated when I text her a photo today. 

Have a great week. Joining Maggie at Life in Normandy for Mosaic Monday, so join us.

Spring Blooms

April showers bring May flowers and more in June. Our wet and cool spring certainly inspired beautiful blooms that have begun to flourish these last few day. The first roses, First Prize and a unnamed rose in the court yard. Other's are ready to bloom. The peonies are glorious, too, especially since their garden bed has been cleared of the dead bushes. Another favorite, the allium always make me happy.

Iris have long been on my list of favorites. This is the dark, dark purple that I love so much. I have forgotten the name, The Dark Knight sounds good, but I don't think that is it's name.

This lemony yellow hasn't bloomed here often. I think I dug it up from one spot and moved it to another so it sometimes takes those transplants a while to bloom.

The camera really didn't quite capture the beauty of this lavender iris. Taken during the shady morning light probably made the color a bit off. It's still a pretty variety.

I thought you might like to take a stroll down the path in the center garden. I'll point out the new plantings along the way.

I have the grandsons this week. They always do a community service--rather a granny service for me. This time I will ask them pick up the pine cones out of the path. They make it hard to walk along the path. 

The hostas are really exciting this season. They are finally getting some size and will be beautiful all summer long unless they get hail. Hope not.

I finally broke down and bought two spring blooming, shade loving perennials, pulmonaria and a forget-me-not. I missed their blooms this spring, but next year they should be lovely.

On down the path we will round the curve to find a variety of columbine, or aquilegia.  I don't know how I ended up with several different varieties because I have never bought any. I never know what I will have from year to year. they are perfect growing beneath the aspen trees as the Colorado native, our state flower do, at higher altitudes where they bloom around the Fourth of July. 

This variety is the one that we know and love as our state flower.

These are the two new astilbes that we added to last year's that bloomed and even survived the winter, along with a spiderwort.

                    

The alliums have gone wild here, too, thanks to granddaughters breaking off the large heads a few years ago and generous sprinkling the seeds about. When you buy allium commercially, you buy the huge bulb. I never thought that they would reseed.

They grow in clumps now. They don't get as tall as the original nor do the heads get as large, but these are fun to watch bloom out with the hundreds of little star shaped blossoms on each head.

This one is right by the front step.

Lastly, a new favorite, the geum. 

I have another one planted on in the center circle and one more to plant. They are easy growers and come in shades of orange. The one added a color to an otherwise dull spot.

Summer is in full swing. The grandsons always come to visit the week after school is out. We have plenty to do to keep them busy. I think a movie late this afternoon. The hay will be cut today, too. The Head Gardener had a hard time finding some one who wants to cut small averages. The fellow who has done it all along for us decided that he didn't want to do these small parcels. It will rain for sure with hay on the ground.

Have a great week. And thanks for taking time to visit. 

Linking with Maggie at Normandy Life.