The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Monthly Archives: May 2011

Memorial Day

Posted on by Posted in Family, Local .

I am not a parade kind of guy.

I don’t really get the fun in waving to some Girl Scout troops I don’t know or watching some people ride comfortably in a classic car while I stand in the heat next to some crabby kid who just accidentally let go of his helium balloon.
 
Yet, we agreed to attend a Memorial Day parade yesterday and the thought of standing outside in 95 degree heat (not an exaggeration) with two young children sounded sweaty and exhausting at best. Couldn’t we just watch one on TV in air conditioning? I’ve been told “it’s not the same” so we gave it a go. You know what? It was a good time, with a great vibe and admittedly, it tugged a bit on the old heart strings:

The parade was in Bucks County, PA, specifically in:  

There were plenty of vehicles carrying our brave and heroic men and women:

Some animals were thrown in for shits (literally) and giggles:

Some dudes dressed up in old time garb and fired off shots that terrified every child under the age of 10 (and all of the parents would like to thank them for that):

A little not so subtle marketing:

Some serious weaponry (I had the kids in close touch while this dude walked by):

There was an overwhelming feeling of patriotism and just good old fashioned fun even though we all baked like mad in the sun (yes they were all covered in sun screen):

But honestly, the best part of the day may have been the walk to and from the parade. We parked a distance from the parade route and walked along the towpath of the Delaware River canal:

We had never been on this part of the canal and it was beautiful and loaded with wildlife:

We saw a few snakes in the water, a beaver busy at work on a dam and plenty of ducks, which the kids absolutely loved:

Unlike the towpath in our parts up in NJ, there were a bunch of homes right on the canal that were phenomenal:

It seemed like one big party could be had just hanging around the canal and maybe one day we’ll make our way there.

I also spotted some awesome entrances to some of the properties:

The funniest part of the walk was our interaction with all of the geese. They were the most brazen geese I’ve ever seen and were overly aggressive. While the kids panicked as the geese hissed at us, I found it hilarious as they chased after us even after we had passed by with no intention of ever messing with them:

Even the young guys and gals were ready to mix it up and I’ll share that video with you in the near future:

All in all, a great Memorial Day and one not to be forgotten.

Now back to the grind.

John

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Awkward, but I love ya

Posted on by Posted in My garden .

Not all babies are cute.

They’re really not.

But if that child is your own, you love them to death and believe they are the most beautiful thing on the planet.

As the child gets older, he or she (mostly he) will go through a number of awkward phases where again, you’ll see them as handsome and attractive, but to everyone else, they will be “kinda funny looking.” Trust me, this is coming from the King of Awkwardness at age 13. Braces, legs too long for my frame, head to big and just plain old socially inept. Of course, I eventually got straightened out, the women fell at my feet and I became a dashing young man (if you believe that, you don’t know me very well).        

My point for today – as I ogled all of the blooms on my peonies, irises, ninebarks, campanulas, etc, I also took notice of the true anchors of my landscape – the ornamental grasses. While the blooms are the cool, good looking kids, the OG’s of May 27th represent the pubescent boy. Little odd, but you can see the potential of what is to come.

So today, I honor the ornamental grasses and want to let them know they will always be wonderful to me no matter what stage they are in with their development. Your time to shine is not that far off, but I still dig you even today:    

Calamagrostis (Feather Reed Grass) ‘El Dorado’ 

Panicum (Switch Grass) ‘Rotstrahlbusch’
Miscanthus (Maiden Grass) ‘Variegatus’ 
Miscanthus (Maiden Grass’) ‘Gracillimus’ 
Calamagrostis (Feather Reed Grass) ‘Karl Foerster’
Miscanthus (Maiden Grass) ‘Morning Light’ 

Have a great Memorial Day weekend and try to remember who we are truly honoring.
John 

A peony, some iris and a near fatal encounter with a deer

Posted on by Posted in Deer, Perennials .

Yesterday, I posted a photo of a ‘Bowl of Beauty’ peony in bud and literally an hour later, it bloomed like an SOB. It is the only bloom so far out of three different plants and I dig it because it gives me a chance to ogle the one bloom for the next day or so:

There was also just one Iris sibirica ‘Snow Queen’ bloom as of yesterday and overnight it turned into Bloomapalooza:

Same goes for the Iris sibirica ‘Ruffled Velvet’:

And just in case you didn’t know already, I sort of like my Catmint:

Just to keep on my toes, the deer have appeared in droves the past two days. This young fellow was running around the yard like he was lost and while it was sweet and all, I calmly escorted him off the property and gave him by best intimidating sneer:  

True story, I stepped outside at 5:45 to run this morning and saw a large heap of animal in the backyard with a bird perched atop. I assumed it was a deceased deer and was planning on how to dispose of said carcass but when I got within ten feet, the deer jumped up, I peed myself and the deer ran off. The deer must have been in serious REM sleep when I approached because it didn’t move. When I returned from my run, the deer had returned to it’s favorite place and is most likely, still there:      

I’ve finally learned to keep my camera nearby and ready to go so I can hopefully capture some decent shots of the wildlife. This morning, I was the “bird hunter” and despite taking maybe one hundred photos, these are the only pics that came out OK. Bird photography is not a strong suit right now, but I’ll keep working on it:

Finch in a River Birch tree 

Cardinal on the weed filled playground

Good times for all!
John

Wordless Wednesday

In with the new

Posted on by Posted in My garden .

Yesterday, we said goodbye to those plants that are quickly fading into the background. They served me well but I’m over it already. Time to move on.

Here are those perennials and shrubs that are next in line and ready to take center stage. They’ve put in the time and effort over the past year, determined to show us their worth. Without further ado:

The Siberian Iris ‘Snow Queen’ have absolutely exploded in year 3 and the big show is just about ready to start. One of the few the deer will leave alone:

As is always the case, I turn my head and the Nepeta (Catmint) ‘Walker’s Low’ go OFF. The most consistent performer I own and lucky for me, they line the path of my front walkway. The “hum” of the bees will be here soon; music to my ears:

Spirea ‘Snowstorm’ is looking good with more blooms than ever before:

The Physocarpus (Ninebark) ‘Summer Wine’ has become a beast and is definitely due for a hard prune next spring. It is covered in blooms and will put on quite a show within the week:

A teaser for the soon to be blooming ‘Bowl of Beauty’ peonies. They will definitely be worthy of their own post and maybe even a haiku or limerick. Hell, I’ll team up with Kanye and write a song about them. It will be hot:  

The wet weather is heaven for the Astilbes ‘Deutchsland’ and they will be showing their gratitude with abundant blooms in the near future:

Spirea ‘Goldmound’ looks fantastic and is also about to majestically bloom:

Amsonia (eastern bluestar) is in bloom and while I wouldn’t call the blooms their best feature (clearly it’s the yellow fall color) it still is a nice color blue this time of year. They also have been deer free for two years now which is a bonus:  

There is so much going on in the garden this time of year and I couldn’t be more pumped up. In fact, I have to run and see what’s progressed since yesterday.

Ciao

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Out with the old

Posted on by Posted in My garden .

Every gardener desires to have some level of interest in their gardens at all times of the year. Be it blooms, or interesting foliage, the challenge is to “always have something going on”.

On a personal level, it is what drives me mad as I think about my own garden design. If some day you find me face down in the mulch, shaking uncontrollably, just know that this is what caused it. I am in a constant state of tweaking and moving this plant or adding this plant. It is virtually impossible to get it just right; but I’ll die trying.

As I was out in the gardens this past weekend, I noticed a definite shift in what was emerging and what was receding (or dying) into the background. Last week’s heroes, which were in all their blooming glory, were now an afterthought, or a nasty, mushy pile of ugly foliage. I started to feel bad for these “has-beens” and decided to give them one last shout-out before they disappear into the night, or hopefully, neatly tucked behind new perennial growth.                    

Won’t you join me in saluting their efforts? Here we go:

The daffodils are tired and ready to hibernate for the next 11 months:

But let’s not forget how they lit up the gray skies this spring:

The Iberis sempervirens (Candytuft) are respectfully calling it quits:

But what a show they put on as they stole the spotlight for two weeks:

The Leucojum aestivum (Summer Snowflake) bow their heads in shame and now look like this:

But we won’t forget what an inspiration they were, especially for me as they have been one of the few reliable spring bulbs in my nasty wet clay soil:

The Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’ have thrown in the towel and are now laying down as they cannot go on any longer:

We all understand their struggle, they put on a bloom for the ages and you can only keep that up for so long:

The Camassia blooms are valiantly trying to hold on as long as they can:

It’s OK buddy, give into it and we’ll remember you like this:

Same goes for you nodding Campanula (Bellflower); lay down and go into the night in peace:

You rocked it for a while and we’re still smiling as a result:

I now feel much better. 
Tomorrow we shove these losers fading beauties aside and look at what is now ready to step up and make their presence known in the garden. 
Till then …
John   

Run

Posted on by Posted in Health .

They’ve been staring at me the past few weeks and I can’t make them go away:

Yes, I get it, you haven’t been used much of late, but what do you want me to do? With a full time job, two active young children and this friggin nasty weather, when exactly was I going to run? 
At night? Are you nuts? There are very few street lights around here and my wife and I need our down time to watch bad TV and surf the ‘net.
During lunch at work? Get out of here. I could shower ten times over and still sweat my arse off. It would make for an ugly afternoon and the people around me would press charges.
Early morning? I knew you we’re going there. I’ve done it before and while it painful as all hell, it is a sweet feeling when done. But I’m dragging lately and I don’t know that I can muster the energy to do it. Give it one time you say and I won’t regret it. Alright talking shoes, you’re on.
I got up at 5:45 this morning and I felt like I had just completed a two week bender. I could see out of only one eye and I had a rip roaring headache. I managed to get dressed in my running gear and walked out the back door. As I walked out, I felt like I had stumbled upon a wildlife preserve or maybe Noah’s Ark: 

There were at least 10 deer chomping away in the woods:                     
A school of rabbits were raising a ruckus throughout the yard:  
And thousands of birds were devouring all of the worms that have been brought to the surface with all of the recent rain: 
I immediately felt a rush of energy when I witnessed it all. I love living out in the country here in New Jersey. I grew up in true suburban NJ and had never seen a live deer until I moved out here. There is a smell and vibe that just relaxes you and it feels like a true escape once I get home from work each day.
Anyway, about that run. I do try and run semi regularly and I follow the same path each time. It is borderline creepy and I may just be attacked by some being or animal in the near future, but I love it. It keeps me on my toes and it is a challenge to survive it. 
I immediately head down hill and it looks like a road that leads to nowhere:     

While it may be a bit ominous, it is filled with beautiful scenery along the way:

The trees are loaded with signs about hunting, no trespassing, travel at your own will, beware of killer dogs,etc:

I’m smart enough not to “tread” where I shouldn’t tread and stay on a straight and narrow path:

I try to look only directly in front of me for fear of spotting that banjo playing kid from Deliverance:

Eventually, the road turns to gravel and I know to head back in the direction I came:

I snapped all of these photos from my car and luckily survived and could share them with you. While it is a run into “interesting” territory, I still love it and could never run on a track or somewhere else without this scenery.

When I got back home, I felt phenomenal. I haven’t felt this energized in the morning in quite a while. With our lifestyle right now, things become exceedingly routine and it is a must to break that routine in some way every once in a while. I’m ready to run at least two mornings a week and garden the other three mornings. I can’t wait to feed off of that energy. I even wrote this post before leaving for work.

I rule.

John
   

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Wordless Wednesday

Deep thoughts

Posted on by Posted in Uncategorized .

I’ve been doing some critical thinking (OK, more like daydreaming) of late and had some thoughts I’d like to share with you today.

In true fashion, I haven’t come up with a clear cut decision on any of these things:


How is it that I have yet to transplant a single shrub/perennial this year? 
This is a fascinating development for me. By this time last year, I had completely overhauled my front bed after doing the same the prior year.

I think there may be multiple, potential reasons for this non-activity. Let’s explore, shall we?:

  • Laziness – nope, still have that same drive I’ve had for the past decade. 
  • The weather – the wet soil is not ideal for planting and transplanting, but that has never stopped me before.
  • Time – yes, this is always a hurdle, but I managed to find the time the past few years.  
  • Patience – again, nope. I am always in analysis mode and will take swift action when required.
  • Satisfaction – is it possible? Maybe I kind of like how things look right now? I think this, gulp, may be the case. While a true gardener is never satisfied, I am finding that maybe, just maybe, I’m getting better at this design gig. We’ll see how long it lasts. 



Do I need to develop a game plan or determine where I want to take this blog in the future?
I’ve been reading quite a bit on the state of garden blogging and where it is headed. There seems to be a discord between those who write for traditional media outlets and those who blog. Bloggers are often accused of being uneducated and inexperienced in the world of horticulture and guilty of spreading misinformation. While I am relatively new to the world of blogging, I have been a regular reader of garden blogs over the years and have found that very few, if any, have given out bad information. What I have found, is that garden bloggers are full of passion and love to share their own experiences with others. These bloggers are a great mix of designers, farmers, plant geeks and backyard gardeners and I find all of their writings to be an inspiration.

Which leads me to the question I posed above. Where am I going with this blog? Is it simply a collection of photos of my gardens along with my own commentary? Am I targeting beginning gardeners or those who like using Latin names? Am I trying to impress my friends and family? Or show off the fact that I have some decent plant knowledge? The truth – I have no idea at this point. I’m just enjoying the ride and writing about my true passion.

I won’t kid you, I closely analyze the traffic to this blog and have educated myself on how to up my rankings in the Google search listings. I also have become fascinated with social media – my Twitter page can be accessed here and yes, I even created a blog Facebook page here.

At the same time, I find myself enjoying the personal posts and simple tours of my gardens more than any other entry I typically write. Would I ever consider advertising? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t rule it out if I were to be so lucky to receive that opportunity.



Should I feel dirty when I purchase plants from one of the “big box stores”?

This applies to all sorts of purchases (produce, appliances, etc.) and not only plants. Should I be willing to pay a bit more at my local garden center knowing the money will be staying local? How do I turn down how cheap Home Depot and Lowe’s can be on certain plants? There is nothing better than a visit to my local nursery and I want to support them in any way I can. I’m still working out this one in my wallet, my head and in my conscience.        



How do I extend my gardens beyond the perimeter of my home?
I have spent the better part of six years trying to get the garden beds that surround my home/driveway right. Now I’m ready to extend out. The problem (and blessing) is that I have a large property and don’t know where to begin.

Ideally, I want to get to a point where I have many garden rooms or “places to chill”. All of these rooms would be attached with interesting and meandering garden paths. In my head it kicks ass but in reality I feel like I’ll never get there. Beyond the typical issues of time, money, deer and … time, I don’t know where to begin. I don’t like the look of island beds so I want to some how transition from my yard to the woods that border my property. OK, fine, this isn’t a problem at all and damn exciting, I just need to start it and see where it leads me.                                          

John

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A birthday, babies, baseball and some plant love

Posted on by Posted in Baseball, Family .

This was a jam packed weekend with a little bit of everything. Off we go:

My niece/god-daughter turned two so we headed up to the ‘rents house for the festivities:

There is still no better spectator sport than watching the little ones chow down on cake with reckless abandon:

There were like 500 babies/little kids at the party, including my nephew/godson who just learned to walk this past week. He was like a mini Frankenstein roaming throughout the bash:

And the required “let’s get the kids together photo” that always works out so well. Note how poorly my son is holding his cousin and my daughter legendarily never looks into the camera:

One last thought on this party – Our kids were by far the oldest at 8 and 5 as most of the kids were between like 6 months and 3 years old. My wife and I just sat back and loved watching the chaos and parental insanity as the kids cried, knocked over lights, crapped themselves or fell off the deck. To have been there already and survived it is awesome so we just kicked back and gave each other “the nod”.

On Sunday, my son and his baseball team were on the field at a minor league baseball game so we hit the park for the day:

The kids loved being on the field with the “real players”:

After the opening ceremonies, we found our seats and had a healthy snack:

Seriously, cotton candy is friggin evil stuff. I’m pretty sure we just upped our dental bill by about a $1000 dollars this year.

This mascot had his eyes on my wife so I made a point to find him after the game and pummelled him a bit:

A lot of people find baseball super boring but I still say there is no better way to spend a relaxing spring/summer afternoon (beverage in hand) than at the ballpark. My wife and I still miss the days when we had partial season tickets to the New York Mets.

And to cap off the weekend, I toured the grounds at home to see what was doing. I must have taken 500 photos and I think I’m becoming that parent who shows you 100 pictures of his boring kid where you snooze off after photo number 5. Good luck making it through the following:

Overnight, the Joe Pye Weed emerged and we all yelled “Can I get an amen?”:          

I am a fan of growing deciduous shrubs in containers that I know will never survive elsewhere. This Sambucus  ‘Black Lace’ is doing well so far:

Same goes with the Prunus Cistena (PurpleLeaf SandCherry), especially after underplanting with yellow Sweet Potato Vine:

Do you have peony envy?:

Like parmesan cheese (more specifically, parmigiana reggiano), ornamental grasses just make everything around them better:

A new Heuchera (Coral Bell) picked up at last year’s Garden Writer’s conference. It is the only plant that survived the plane ride home. I dig the silvery tone and veining on the leaves:

I thought I lost her, but ‘Sweet Kate’ Tradescantia (Spiderwort) survived the winter. There is another one that just popped up as well so color me happy:

I am a sucker for Astilbes and they look fantastic so far with all the rain we’ve had:

Spittle bugs? Kind of looks like someone hocked a loogie if you ask me.

My daughter and I managed to sow some lettuce/kale/spinach seeds (better late than never … we’ll do our best to prevent it from bolting as the weather warms) on Sunday night:

Just as we finished, the sky turned evil and it is supposed to be nasty here for the next few days:

Oh well, guess we’ll have to stay inside and catch up on all the shows we’ve got piled up on the DVR. I’m talking Real Housewives of OC, Sister Wives, Survivor … educational type shows.

John

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