I returned last night from a three day business trip to Utica, New York and let me tell you, driving alone four hours each way gives you a lot of time to think.
 

A few years ago, on the same trip, I had written a screenplay, in my head, for a movie that had no audio so the audience had to interpret what really went down. I’m sure it has been done already, but if not, I still think it could be done in the hands of the right director.

Any hoo, this trip it was all about the blog, naturally, since it is my only real creative outlet. I tried to come up with original topics or a way to present common topics in a unique and comical way. I also couldn’t get a comment that my brother-in-law made, out of my head.  He described my blog to my wife’s elderly grandmother as “pornographic photos of plants”. I laughed when I heard the comment and also realized, the dude is dead on. Like this “money shot”:

My first thought was “do readers want the money shot with little plot, or do they prefer some plot so there is more payoff once the money shot is revealed.” Sorry, I did just go there.

I’ve since learned that my photos tend to lean “macro”. Close-up photos that reveal details which cannot be seen with the naked eye. These can be very cool and “artsy” but using too many can be a bit much. Plus, and most importantly, the best photos pull in all of the pieces of the garden so you can view the interplay of all the plants.

So, with that thought in mind, and nothing but time to over analyze while driving through the Catskills, here are the ideas I came up with:

• It’s about time to do a video walk around the yard chock full of  my inane comments.
• More before and after posts, even if I’ve only moved one plant, and as you know, I transplant with the best of them.
• Get down and technical and photograph it in gory detail. Like when I divide my Irises in the near future.
• Have some of my friends/family send in “please help me” videos of their yards so I can then mock them, laugh and eventually provide valuable feedback. Plus, they’ll believe anything I tell them.

And the one I am most excited and nervous about. I have registered to attend the Garden Writer’s Association Annual Symposium in Dallas, Texas. Truth is, I don’t belong there. It is a collection of the biggest and best in the business covering all topics associated with garden writing and all other forms of media. It also includes tours of some phenomenal gardens in the city. Normally, I’d say “no chance”, but they have a mentor program for first time attendees and dammit, it is time to step out of the comfort zone.

My plan is to blog daily during the conference in “dear diary” fashion, including my own insecurities and “what am I doing here moments?” Should be good stuff.

That is all for today. Will be heading to my 20th High School Reunion this weekend which will definitely lend itself to fantastic blog fodder.

Oh yeah, one last thing. Like the new layout? Autumn too early? Let me know. 

Ciao                                   

I’ve since learned that up close photos of blooms   
       

Before we dive into today’s post, I wanted to again, thank CSN stores for sponsoring the giveaway from this past weekend’s contest. They own and run a whole bunch of different web sites, with one of their most popular being diningroomsdirect.com which can be directly viewed by clicking on the keyword ‘dining room’.  

I also wanted to let you all know who won the giveaway as you may have missed it in the comments section from Sunday night. The winner was The Idiot Gardener, who has maybe the funniest blog out there right now – click here to visit.

We have finally received a great deal of rain here in the Garden State (take that Jersey Shore stereotypes) and it makes me happier than Mel Gibson at an Angry Man conference. The grass is no longer brown and all of the plants have a big ass smile on their faces today.

So it was picture time. Some good and some bad. And a reminder of the elation and frustration this little hobby brings us throughout the year. For today, I give you the “good”:

I have six of these Hemerocallis ‘Joan Senior’ planted and this may be the only bloom I’ll get. The deer literally walked up to my front steps, tucked a napkin in their shirt, and devoured all of these blooms like Tony Soprano eating a bowl of macaroni and gravy.

The Eupatorium ‘Gateway’ are in full bloom and close to six feet tall. The deer and/or rabbits downed some of these early on so there is sort of a layered effect with differing heights. How’s that for more of “glass half full” ‘tude.

The Chelone Glabra plants are starting to bud and hopefully they make it this year. Last year the buds blackened and fell off for reasons unknown.

You say “ho hum”, I say I like peony foliage that holds up until mid Fall just like ‘Bowl of Beauty’ does.

Rudbeckia in full bloom so it must be summer. However, as you’ll see in photos tomorrow, the foliage is jacked up (new horticultural term) on many of these.

Zinnia ‘Green Envy’ holding up well. These are my wife’s favorite of all flowers so I have at least one “get out of the doghouse free” cards.

There are a ton of Sweet 100 tomatoes on just one plant I have in a container on the deck. Smart me read up this off season and learned that tomatoes need to be planted deeper in containers (up until the first set of leaves) and so far so good!

Lobelia Siphilitica are all in bud, they are native and supposedly can handle all the wet clay soil I thoroughly enjoy. I really enjoy plants in bud as much as in bloom because of the anticipation.

Clethra ‘Hummingbird’ is blooming even after I moved it a little late in the season. I love these tough SOB’s. Still waiting on ‘Ruby Spice’ to bloom.

All of the Chasmanthium Latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) are blooming and I am way digging the “oats”.  
     
Tune into tomorrow for some sweet negativity and I expect you all to provide support and guidance.

Thank you
ONG   

I think somewhere, in some gardening/plant publication there is a commandment that states:

“Thou shalt not covet thy family’s or friend’s plant hardiness zone.”

Well forgive me Father, for I just sinned, like a whole lot this past weekend.

We spent the long weekend in Virginia Beach with family and my sinning began about half way there during the car ride on Friday. All along Route 13 in Maryland and Virginia were an endless number of blooming Crepe Myrtles that were a sight to behold for this zone 6’er. Now these trees may be commonplace for all you zone 7’ers but for me it was PHE NOM E NAL.       

I have tried a few times to overwinter a Crepe Myrtle here in zone 6B and was wildly unsuccessful. Now this may have more to do with my poor winter drainage but for today’s purposes, let’s blame it on the hardiness zone (and I will have to submit to formal confession at a later date for my “drainage envy” as well).

Let me also add Camellia’s to the list of  shrubs I’ve coveted and naively attempted to overwinter after a promise of “Now a Camellia that will survive in zone 6, just send $10.99 and we’ll also throw in a Coleus that miraculously can survive winter temps below 10 degrees. Be one of the first ten callers and you only pay the costs of shipping and handling.”      
      

Once my zone envy was in check, I began to develop more of a “Southern envy” which I’m pretty sure isn’t technically a sin but will have to look it up.

Right on the golf course beyond the fence of my host family’s property (and let me thank them again for all that they did for us, most importantly, keeping the kids occupied while we drank, swam, drank and then went out to dinner to drink some more) was a beautiful big old, perfectly southern, weeping willow tree.            

Now the following leaves a lot to be desired in my mind, but the formal pruning of this tree just fits in perfectly with the whole Southern thang.

I’m too tired to look up the exact tree cultivar, but the “palm” tree below was another reminder of the fact that we weren’t in the NJ any more. 

If you’ve read my blog for a while now (and thank you by the way, check is in the mail) you know the issues I’ve had with knockout roses. Most recently, I gave them a formal burial and vow to never look back. Well, I was given another reminder this weekend of how they are supposed to look. The two below are only two years old.    

Are you frickin kidding me? Wow. Have to move on and leave my disappointing memories firmly in the past 

Another example of a tree that exudes “Southerness” is the Southern Magnolia. Yes I know, there are a ton that can survive here as well, but let’s face it my friends, it just isn’t the same no matter how hard you try. 

My wife and I have vowed to move south for the past few years, in search of better weather and to just mix it up a bit. We also enjoy the more laid back ‘tude and atmosphere. Will we ever do it?  I don’t know, the magic 8 ball constantly says “no”. As I get older though, I find the winters less and less charming. We’ll see, even if we do, I’m sure I’ll find a way to complain about the inability to grow a certain perennial that requires a colder winter or that things aren’t moving fast enough.  

Namaste
ONG           

Ocean or Lake? I’ll take ocean every time

Camping or Hotel? Hotel please

Fishing? Not a huge fan

Canoeing? Eh

With that information in mind, you would never think that I would enjoy a long weekend at a small cottage on a lake with minimal amenities. But you, silly naive reader, would be so very wrong.

We just spent four days at “The Cottage” up in the Connecticut River Valley. The house has been in my wife’s family for the past five decades and she spent a good portion of her childhood summers there. We make it a point to make it up there at least once each summer. Admittedly, we are not an “outdoorsy family”. However, we do appreciate all that Mother Nature has provided and thoroughly enjoy not having a TV, not having video games, not having Internet access (OK I lied) and making our own fun.                

 

We may not be avid fisherman and I may not to be able to tell you the difference between a small mouth or large mouth bass, but we had fun feeding the Sunnies and trying to catch them with a net.  

Four straight days spent mostly outside in picture perfect 80 degree weather does the body and mind good.

I enjoy watching the kids explore, getting excited finding quartz in the lake or almost catching a minnow in their buckets.

I enjoy watching my wife relive her childhood, reading through old books that have been left behind or looking at the wall of measurements that has countless lines marking all of the children as they have grown throughout the years (quick note – I am still the tallest of all and damn proud).