No one volunteered to do this week’s diary so I took these photographs in the house and yard this morning and yesterday showing what is currently growing and blooming in the Central Valley of Connecticut.
During our winter trip, we had an upstairs bathroom flood, coming through the library ceiling and down into the basement plus damaging two other downstairs ceilings. The renovations just finished this past week, except for a door replacement, and I’m now moving everything back into the rooms. We have not seen our dining room table since January. During the process, I’ve been decluttering and paying homage to Marie Kondo. I now have over 300 books ready to take to the flea market, as well as, many other items.
I have also been eyeing my indoor plants as I have way too many. This ivy in the front parlor has been in this cloche for about four/five years and is still healthy. I wonder if I should set it free.
Also in the same room is this Rex begonia that gets by with very low light.
I like how this morning’s early light seen through the sheers highlights the asparagus fern fronds. It took me most of the week to move everything back into this room.
Before we go outside to look around, I want to show you the floor in the room. I painted it over thirty years ago. I used an oil polyurethane over it, I remember doing three or four coats. I love the patina age to it now as the white continues to turn lightly amber and darken over time. I have only used warm water with a bit of Murphy Oil Soap to clean it all these years. While most of the furniture was out of the room, I gave it a really good scrubbing. The worse thing that ever happened to the floor was women wearing high heels and leaving point marks in the soft pine boards. Okay, I did once but it was Halloween and I still swear that someone had put something in my drink ……..
I planted two Japanese painted ferns a decade ago and this one really started multiplying this year
This lady covers a good portion of the garage’s side and smells heavenly. Robins nest every year in her arms.
I almost lost this plant when it had only one remaining lonely leaf. Although it is a tropical, I had it too close to the baseboard heat before I realized what was happening. It’s made quite a comeback.
The iris on the left came from my mother’s yard and the one on the right from my Aunt Katherine
Recently the neighborhood super gardener stopped by for something and as she was leaving asked to walk around the yard. She made a snide remark about some planter I had spray painted but then stopped in her tracks when she eyed this hosta. The leaves are huge. She mentioned maybe sometime I would let her cut a few leaves for a vase at one of her parties. (I don’t think so!)
Speaking of hostas, I had no idea there were such fantastic offerings now available. I would have a hard time choosing below but probably the white/brown one would be my first choice and second the yellow/grayish one.
I don’t know the name of this yellow flower and have no idea where the purple iris came from
Evening Primrose, Heliotrope, Impatient, Sedum
Top is Dutchman’s Pipe Vine. You can see the bloom on the right. Pull up this plant, burn, destroy!
I don’t think I have had a sweet potato vine bloom before so I was surprised to see this pink one.
Alliums have been doing exceptionally great this year
Anticipation with this peony bloom and although this Bible marker plant is circled with wire, the deer still manage every year to remove it and eat the plant to the ground.
I have a new tick spraying company this year using an organic spray but I’m still hesitant to eat the soon-to-be blackberries. I did cover the raspberries with a sheet.
My favorite herb and smell — old faithful sage. This plant has to be over ten years old.
Lettuce is the only vegetable I’ve planted so far. The top pic is of a pot with basil in the middle. The bottom is the remaining lettuce from when a raised planter’s bottom gave way and the soil fell two feet to the ground.
I have yet to step one foot in my vegetable garden this year so it is not going to be much. I plan to plant tomatoes and P asked for eggplants so that will be it this time around. I bought a jar of gazpacho seasoning at Home Goods this week so hopefully it will be used up before frost.
This was the view coming home last night after meeting Buddha and a friend at a Thai Restaurant
Current Hartford weather report.
So what is going on in your garden and world?