Calling Epiphany

Yesterday I installed a new irrigation valve just for the vegetables and herbs that do require more water then the drought tolerant ornamentals that are scattered about. I'll be able to plant the area under the apple tree, and water the kitchen garden items that are sprinkled about in both the lily bed and iris bed. Eventually this line will extend to the sunning bed where there will be another raised bed to take care of the visions of artichokes that will be over there. Artichokes are so cool. They are a big thistle!

At 100 degrees it was time for a break and a few photos. Here is a pickling cucumber sprawled out across the hot rocks.

Here is an update on the peaches that are fattening up.

And now the raised bed. I sprayed Die Bug (D.E.) on the radishes and turnips last night just to console myself from thinking that I was powerless against the midnight salad rampage that takes place here nightly. This place is crazy as crickets come nightfall. I will reseed the lettuce, but until then I am waiting for an epiphany.

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, Carry On and Hurry Back!

Pockets of Rocks

Here is the lovely Agate from our fishing trip to Panguitch, UT. The rocks feel like treasure in your hands and sound like glass when they jostle about in your pockets. (The little button was a hitchhiker.)

So when we got back home there was a new sunflower in the garden,

and crickets or whatever it was ate all of the lettuce seedlings, but other than that everything else in the garden seemed just as we had left it.

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, Carry On and Hurry Back!

Get off the Road

It was time for a roadtrip, so we packed up the gear and headed out to go fishing. We took the scenic highway out by Cedar Breaks, UT,

up where the lava flows touch the sky,

to Panguitch Lake where we heard that the fishing was great!

We were really happy with the accomodations,

that were right across from that old rustic cabin. The insides were cute,

and the cabins were all lined up like fish on a stringer.

We fished all day but didn't catch anything. They told us stories that people were hauling out boat loads of fish the day before, but today the water was really choppy.

We really enjoyed our stay at Panguitch Lake Resorts.

But for me, the best thing was to get off of the paved road and see surroundings of mullen, fleabane, yarrow, current, white lupine, and other of those familiar plants I long for, and to notice that the ground was covered with a glasious stone, Agate with chips perfect for arrowhead bird points, and palm knives for fish cleaning back in the indian day. This place was awesome. So I pocketed some souvenir rocks that I will share with you saved for next time.

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, Carry On, and Hurry Back!

Algorithmically Cute

A friend and I went to Boulder City just to kick around. We ended up at an antique shop where I saw these adorable Bambi salt and pepper shakers. I don't really have any collections, but I had to get them because for me they are like the Ambassadors of all of the totally cool salt and pepper shakers everywhere that I would just love to own. These little guys are Representin'. When contemplating collections, think of the Ambassadorship program. (Unless it's plant related! When it comes to plants, the more the better! Plants do not apply!)

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, Carry On and Hurry Back!

Fish Nets, Cat Nets

With the song by Stevie Nicks, "Gypsy" playing in my head, I contemplate how to keep Symba out of the vegetable garden. Hmm, this will do for now.....

I know this is a vegetable bed, but flowers look good anywhere.

Heading out with my coffee (my morning ritual) I don't see Symba. Oh, then I spot him as he is strategically placing his paws between the net squares and walks the length of the bed entraced like a masterful ninja in slow motion. I am going to get chicken wire for the bed tomorrow and do it up right because this could be cat lethal. I am thankful I had the netting handy so the rows still look like rows and not Symba's representation of Richard Dryfus's mountain, in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

The tree is standing tall today. Looking skyward, I recalled our alarm went off at 4:30 am this morning so that we could get up to see the Perseid Meteor Showers, but at 4:31 actually doing it next year seemed like an even better idea.

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, Carry On, and Hurry Back!

It's a Gambling Town

Yesterday was registration for the Master Gardeners program. I signed up and then walked around the grounds. There were some interesting looking specimens that I haven't seen before but I didn't think about the camera until I saw this lovely play of colors.

There was a shade structure that was the holding place for all of this treasure. The plants were piled in waiting to be planted in their respective spots and given their latin names. Personally I like them just like this. Wouldn't it be wild to have a person stand next to you all of the time and say the latin name for each and every species you happen upon? I promise I won't become that person.

Back at Black Mountain Garden, with the water installed and the dirt dry enough to plant seeds, it was time for the plan.

The plan changed immediately due to the amount of sunlight the bed is getting next to the wall in the middle of the day now. It will be carrots instead of broccoli, which would probably get gangly needing more light and more space anyway so they might as well go in the traveling pots.

Using sticks to layout the design, I set about planting the seeds. This is a gambling town, and I am gambling that even though it might be a little early for planting some of the things that I have planted in my fall garden today, things are just going to work out okay. And with that, we will let the one that says things like "either they'll grow or they won't" take us out. "Take us out Wrangler!"

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, Carry On and Hurry Back!

The Bug Vortex

Michael and I went to get sprinkler parts and came home with an impulse purchase. We sat on the back patio and I asked if just the look of the rose made him feel like we were turning into old people and he answered yes. I could tell that he was relived that I had brought it up because he made a heavy sigh. This made finding a home for the new rose a little bit harder.

Heading out this morning to decisively select the new rose home, I noticed the bug vortex. It's a little whirlwind of about a dozen knat like flies that rotate hovering chest high above the step between the two headstones. Seeing it once or twice is just a coincidence, but this is a daily thing so I think it deserves a sacred little bug vortex occurance mentioning kind of like the vortex's in Sedona.

The "have you considered your mortality lately roses" look better swallowed up by lots of green, don't you think?

Thanks for visiting! To all of my gardening friends, Carry On and Hurry Back!