Monthly Archives: October 2011
… and I’m still pumped.
I appreciate all the feedback I’ve received since I announced my big plans on Wednesday and I’ve had a few days to mull it over even more.
Most people want to be able to live their life “one day at a time” and savor the moment. Not this cat. I feel completely the opposite way. I live “day by day” too much. I need to improve on my future planning and act accordingly. Just ask my wife. I’m sure I frustrate the hell out of her.
This project, more than anything else, is a challenge to myself. It even goes beyond gardening. I want to prove that I am capable of thinking big and delivering on that vision. I will need to plan well, make the best use of my available time and work within a budget. And why not add pressure by making big promises on this blog. Hopefully, it will add to my inspiration.
As the journey unfolds, I will reveal my plans that go beyond just improving my landscape. Some of these future plans may be unrealistic and far reaching but we’ll see. I will try to reel myself in and not over promise and under deliver.
After I wrote the post on Wednesday, I managed to sneak some additional work in before it got dark that night. Believe it or not, I’ve had a large mound of topsoil sitting in my front yard for over a year now:
A perfect example of what I hid from you as I was sharing macro shots of various blooms. No more. Time to let it all hang out (well not all) without fear.
I attacked this pile of soil with a somewhat violent effort and completed the reshaping of one garden bed:
And addressed the long overdue low spots in my lawn:
Baby steps.
600+ days is a long time and hopefully I don’t lose you along the way. But if I want to match my grand vision, I need sufficient time to do it right.
Have a great weekend
John
June 29th, 2013
Mark it on your calendar now.
I’m serious, most everything written on this blog from this day forward will be with that date in mind.
I am here to declare that I will have my property in tip top shape, like “I can give a garden tour shape”, by that date. And again, I’m f’n serious. I have a conviction to do this like I’ve never felt before and I will document every step along the way. It will be epic.
It all hit me while I was planting some bulbs early this morning. I found a spot where I could add some of my favorite daffodils:
A spot where the bulbs would fill in an empty spot in spring and also a spot where the decaying foliage would be hidden by emerging perennial foliage:
A simple task that gardeners perform all the time right? Yes, but today I never felt more invigorated while doing it. Let’s call it divine intervention; a calling if you will. Maybe it is more accurate to say that I felt a challenge from the universe I couldn’t resist. Too mystical and spiritual for you? Yeah me too, but I am gonna do it. All I needed to do was set a somewhat realistic target date and “Game on”.
Enough taking photos of flowers up close, shielding you from the mess around it.
Enough showing you what I’ve done wrong, seeking your sympathy.
We are going to get down and dirty and if you stick with me, you will hopefully witness an awesome transformation. I have no choice but to be confident and cocky now.
I’m thinking about setting a strict budget so it can be tracked along the way and I can make sure I make smart decisions.
I may even throw a party when it is done with some surprises I’m mulling over as we speak. The brain is on overload and I couldn’t be more excited.
611 days to go.
Some random thoughts on a Tuesday:
My wife and kids may be in the car and heading south as I type this because we’ve been infested with spiders in the house for the past two months. My solution:
That’s right, osage oranges. All entries into the house have been covered and we won’t see another arachnid again. Yes, it may be folklore that this really works but I’m buying it hard. The “they eat all the bad bugs” line has worn thin and I’m desperate.
Mums really bother me. They’re everywhere this time of year and they bloom TOO well. Worst of all, they don’t have to work hard for your admiration (unless you’ve managed to get them to come back year after year and religiously pinch them – then you’re cool as hell). You just overpay for them at Shop Rite, stick them in a container, throw some pumpkins next to them and voila – an autumn vignette. Color me not impressed:
This past summer, I planted 15 Lamium plants (‘White Nancy’) and exactly one survived. That is the result of poor planning from someone who should know better by now but still hasn’t learned. I’ll tell you what though, I guarantee this one plant will survive and flourish so all of the other plants did not die without reason:
On the other hand, some times it is as simple as sticking a plant in a pot and letting it go. These two ‘Alabama Sunset’ coleus have thrived from late April until now and I haven’t given them a thought (although I don’t tell visitors that):
You know what never gets old? The zoo:
It thrills kids and grandparents to no end:
Ciao
John
See you next year my critter pals …
Yes, the end of the gardening season is near – OK fine, I know it can extend through the winter, blah blah blah – and I’m doing my best to enjoy it while it is still here:
The blooms of Anemone ‘September Charm’ are holding on for dear life:
The sedum blooms have transformed into their coveted brick red color:
Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ is at it’s peak:
The Acorus gramineus ‘Oborozuki’ (also known as sweet flag but wanted to get my Latin on) are at their most vivid color right now and have truly enjoyed the sick amount of rain we’ve had the past two months:
Still loving the color of Thuja (Arborvitae) ‘Rheingold’:
And loving the sight of berries left behind as the trees shed their leaves:
Enjoy your weekend
John
I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this blog for the past year and a half but I have to admit, I’ve become a bit self absorbed.
It’s been all about coming up with an idea for a post, taking the photos, researching the details, writing the post and then editing it. And it doesn’t even end there; then the promotional push kicks in. I’ll share it on Facebook, tweet it out on Twitter, find ways for others to retweet it on Twitter, pay to have it added to a banner behind a plane (I kid), etc, etc.
What has been lost along the way is the pure enjoyment of educating myself by reading anything plant related I can get my hands on. Unfortunately, all of that reading and learning time has been replaced by the time it takes to put a blog entry together.
Well, within the past week, I’ve started to break that cycle and it feels damn good. It’s all about balance and I think I’m on my way. In celebration of my waning narcissism, I wanted to share the links of some other blogs I’m reading. Most are gardening related but there are a few that are not, but still think you may want to give them a read.
Here they are:
You can criticize social media like Twitter all you want, but there are so many interesting people I’ve met there with similar interests. One of them is Benjamin Vogt who writes the blog The Deep Middle. He gardens in Nebraska and is one smart horticultural dude. I am in the middle of reading his book “Sleep, Creep, Leap: The First Three Years of a Garden” which you can find in the Amazon link in my right sidebar. It’s the book I wish I could write, check it out.
If I had to pick my gardening doppelganger, it would be Scott at Rhone Street Gardens. We both share a serious obsession with ornamental grasses and I’m to the point that I just assume I’ll like whatever he likes. Scott gardens in Portland, OR and I guarantee you’ll love his blog if you aren’t already reading it.
While I was drawn in through the shared interest of gardening, I’m hooked on Kyna’s blog Crystal Coast Gardener because she is damn funny. There are plenty of gardening tales but what reels you in is her ability to capture the absurdity of every day life in a unique way. You never know what you are going to get and that my friends is entertainment.
I have gotten to know Allan Becker through his comments on my blog and I feel comfortable enough to call him a mentor even though we never met in person. I bet you I could drive up to Montreal and he would hand me a beverage and begin educating me on all his plants. Sort of like a Mr Miyagi/Daniel relationship in “Karate Kid”. OK, I’ve now become a level one stalker, sorry, just read his blog Allan Becker – Garden Guru and you’ll see what I mean.
Look, I am clearly in touch with my feminine side (not joking) and like me some flowers. When I am in that mood, I head out to Bella’s Rose Cottage for my fix. The site just oozes relaxation and is a true escape from the stress of every day life. Take a trip there and you’ll get what I’m saying.
Another great escape is the blog Gatsby’s Gardens. We’re talking flowers, foliage, containers, struggles and successes in the garden. As you read her posts, you immediately know this is someone who knows her stuff. She gardens in suburban Illinois and I promise you, you’ll enjoy her site immensely.
This next one is easy. Go to Hayefield, look at the photos and tell me that isn’t what you would imagine your gardens to look like in a perfect world. Nuff said.
I have to give a big shout out to my fellow Jerseyite Debbie, who authors the blog It’s All About Purple. We are talking some amazing photos here and I am specifically enamored with her wildlife photos taken “down the shore”. Just fantastic stuff and I’m sure you’ll agree.
And finally, if you are a sports fan or even a fan of good writing, please check out my friend’s blog Awkward Sandwich. While the grammar may be questionable, there is no denying the wit and great self deprecation. I am even a topic of discussion from time to time as we have an ongoing rivalry in all things we do. While he is wrong 99% of the time, you’ll still laugh at how passionate he is.
That is all for today and by no means did I hit on all of the blogs/websites I am currently reading. These are just a few that stand out and I hope to discuss more in a future post.
Enjoy!
John
Resolutions are crap.
If I had to estimate how often New Year’s resolutions are actually followed I would put it at 3.19%. Or in other words, close to never.
To prove my hypothesis, I took a look back at my gardening resolutions posted on December 30th of this year (You can read the original post here). I think I actually convinced myself that I could accomplish each of these but as you’ll see, homie failed miserably.
Let’s run through each of them:
1)I vow to include my children more in the gardening process
Didn’t happen.
My daughter had her moments:
But we’re still held back by the fear of bees and I do question her work ethic. Everything she draws includes a picture of a flower, but she isn’t willing to put in the necessary hard labor to grow one herself. I’ll tell you, the kids today do not understand what hard work means. Yes, she is 5 but that is no excuse.
Chances my son joins me in the garden: 0.01%:
2)I will stay on top of the pruning, especially those perennials that require it for size control
Damn, I’m a failure:
Where does time go? I have carefully created a spreadsheet that indicates when each of my perennials should be cut back and I still fail to actually do it. Pathetic.
3)I will grow even more of my own food and do it in a sensible way
This was an epic failure even after I planned it all out over the winter and purchased a ton of seeds. I started sowing the seeds too late and couldn’t keep up with the thinning and necessary watering. Here’s the best I could offer:
Again, pathetic and embarrassing.
4)I will dig like a champ, put my body through complete torture and revel in the pain
You’ll notice there are no accompanying photos. That’s because I ain’t got jack shit to show you.
5)I will continue to incorporate more and more native plants
Finally, a bit of success! I added …
Sorghastrum (Indian Grass) ‘Sioux Blue’
Tradescantia (Spiderwort) ‘Sweet Kate’
Physotegia (Obedient Plant) ‘Summer Snow’
Amelanchier (Serviceberry) ‘Autumn Brilliance’
Crataegus (Hawthorn) ‘Winter King’
Score one for ONG!
6)I will admit defeat to the deer
I still tried to sneak daylillies, geraniums and irises by those f’ers and they forgot about them up until about two weeks ago. Not too bad, but now I’m afraid I’m back to thinking I can outsmart them so I’m stuck in this evil vortex once again:
7)I will do my best to stop and “smell the roses” more often
Funny that I used roses in this one as I couldn’t grow a rose successfully even if I dedicated my life to trying. Anyway, as the kids get older and are more involved with sports and other activities, I find that my gardening time continues to shrink. What little time is available becomes very task oriented and time to just chillax doesn’t exist.
If you are scoring at home, that is 1 out of 7. Not good. In baseball terms, I’m hitting .143; below the Mendoza line and a definite reason to be benched.
I know I’ll come up with new resolutions for 2012 but maybe I’ll keep them a bit more realistic this year. Yeah right, I’m sure I’ll fall right back into the same trap but at least it is worth the comedic relief to look back at my glorious failures.
John