Stepping Away from the Edge

Blooms. . . 3-fer Style

Here's a peek at my garden this morning. . . 3-fer Thursdays style!

One. . .

Two. . .

Three. . .

So Very Much

We had a family celebration yesterday.  We had so much to celebrate!

Mothers. . .

(And celebrating by buying SHOES! Two matching shoes for walking in comfort and style.  And that's a real reason to celebrate!)

Birthdays. . .

(Better late than never, right Dad?)

Master's Degrees. . .

(Even if you weren't physically with us, Erin, we toasted your success!)

The end of a successful sophomore year. . .

(With more details about . . .what's cookin'. . . later this week.)

The beginning of fishing season. . .

(Have fun, Tom!)

Blooms. . .

(Eye-popping color everywhere!)

and the end of that damn festival!

So. Very. Much.

Inside View

A few weeks ago, I told you about the dead Christmas wreath on my front door . . . home to some nesting purple finches.

If we stand on a stepstool inside the front door and stand on tiptoe and tip our heads just so. . . we can watch the action in the nest from inside.  It's a pretty good view. 

We just leave the stool there all the time now, so we can climb up and peek in whenever we walk past.  (We also make sure that we never open the front door!)

It's been exciting to watch the process unfold . . . from watching Mama Finch sit on the nest all the time. . . to hatching day. . . to watching the babies grow.

It's a tough angle to see the whole nest through the window.  For the entire process, we've thought there were four eggs; four babies.  Today, though, we discovered that there are actually five!

I've tried to take photos from time to time, but the angle is just too extreme to get things in focus. This evening, though, I was up on the stool with my camera in hand at Just The Right Time!  I was able to capture feeding time in pictures (albeit, not very good ones!)  Enjoy!

The babies are getting their feathers now.  It's only a matter of days, I think, until they fly away.

(Then. . . I'll be able to remove my eyesore Christmas wreath!)

Road Trip!

When most people think of Michigan. . . they think of cars.

And, sure.  There is that.  But. . . Southwest Michigan is more famous for being the Bedding Plant Capital of the World!

And, what does that mean for me? 

Why, it means I'm in Fat City when it comes to high-quality plant material!  It means that I live smack-dab in the middle of some of the best nurseries in the world!   And it means that I look forward to Opening Day for all my favorite nurseries with the same kind of passion that fuels. . . 

• Hunters awaiting the opening of "gun season."
• Fisherman looking forward to "The Trout Opener."
• Shoppers camping out for "Black Friday."

It means that I collect my Opening Day announcements and Early Bird coupons; it means that I mark dates and times on my calendar; it means that my friend Sandie and I have many strategy discussions over coffee; it means . . .

ROAD TRIP!

Even though we have plenty of WONderful nurseries right here in Kalamazoo, Sandie and I traditionally start the nursery season with a road trip to some of our favorite remote nurseries.  This year was no exception, as we hit the road bright and early Saturday morning . . . discount coupons in hand!

First stop. . .

Hidden Grove in West Olive, Michigan.

Grab a cup of coffee, and come along with us!

Hidden Grove is a wonderful nursey with high-quality perennials

fun little garden tchotchkes and beautiful pots

and aisle after aisle

after greenhouse after greenhouse

of great plants for every spot in your garden!  They also have great demonstration gardens out on their property, although it's a bit early in the season to really explore them.

They also have the most stunning array of succulents EVER.

This is only one of several rows of succulents.  (I may have had a bit of a falling down in the succulent sections.)

They also have a gorgeous selection of begonias.  I think I'll take . . .  THIS one!

Next, we swung over to WW Greenhouses, which is probably my first-love when it comes to nurseries.  (Our first house was less than a mile away from this place.  I spent many an afternoon, dragging Toddler Erin and Baby Brian through WW!)

WW's tagline is "The Perennial People" . . . and they aren't kidding!  They have a great selection of perennials, native plants, pond plants, and annuals that will just knock your socks off!

WW always EXPLODES with color.

Their greenhouses go on for acres!  They do a wonderful job with demonstration gardens -- both inside and out.

Their hanging baskets and containers are inspiring!  The best I've seen -- and, trust me, I've seen a LOT of great hanging baskets at various nurseries in the area.

They even have butterflies and birds.  It's just a delight.

(The Japanese Forest Grass came home with me; sadly, the Red Admiral did not.)

And here's the funny part.  We weren't going to buy anything at WW.  We were just goiing to look.

Oops.

Here's Sandie with her cart!  Mine was significantly less full, but still. . .

We definitely pushed the limits of Sandie's new Prius -- and have dubbed it the Official Flower Wagon of All Road Trips!

Now. . . if only the weather would warm up so we could get rid of the frost warnings!

 

A Clear Desk is Totally Overrated

(Photo of my early-blooming rhododendron.  Because who really wants to see my desk right now.)

• My desk always reflects my level of "busy."
• If things are neat and tidy - if you can actually see the wood-grain of the surface - if means that things are at a lull and I have some extra time on my hands.
• For the most part, though, there's a bit of chaos going on there on top of my desk.  Piles of paper and materials neatly organized for work or creative projects.  Things I'm considering.  Stuff I need to do. 
• Not bad.  Certainly manageable.  I am a "visual" person.  I need to "see" what's up and what I need to do.
• I am not one of those clear-surface kind of desk-people.  Never will be.  Don't care to try.  Finally just accepted it.
• But.  There are times when . . . my desk gets totally out of control.   Times when my desk starts to look like an avalanche. . . just waiting to happen.  The piles get bigger.  The papers spread out.  The calculator gets buried under paper.  The phone gets buried under paper.  The piles get moved to the floor.  More piles emerge.
• And then. . . there are the computers.  I use an iMac at home.  I use a Windows 7-based laptop for my work.  When I'm really busy, I have them both set up on my desk.  Side-by-side. 
• That takes up a lot of desktop real estate.
• Guess what's going on now?
• Yeah.  Right now, I'm at "ORANGE" (glowing, nearly exploding "ORANGE") on the "Busy-ness Threat Scale" -- and headed straight to "RED."
• Which means . . . I can barely get to my desk, let alone sit down to work at it. . . and soon, I'll lose sight of it altogether.
• Seriously. 
• I have my "system," though.  It looks bad.  It looks like disaster waiting to happen.  But it seems to work for me.  I know what's in which pile.  I can find things (amazingly) quickly.  I get things accomplished.  It's just. . . well. . . think Pig-Pen, of Charlie Brown fame.
• Tom, by contrast, is a neat, put-everything-in-its-place kind of guy.  He thrives on efficiency.  He is streamlined.  He is one of those clear-desk people.  He does not understand "piles" as a filing "system."  He can always see the surface of his desk.
• (But sometimes he is absent-minded and forgets his phone, or a file, or even his entire briefcase.  I love this about him.  But it never happens to me.)
• Anyway.  He recoils in horror when he sees my desk.
• I actually think it makes him physically ill.
• He doesn't make eye-contact with me when he comes into my office when my desk is Like This.  Instead, I can see his eyes dart to the piles on my floor.  I can see the judgment, the absolute wonder, in his eyes.
• How DOES she function?  I can see those thoughts roll through his mind.
• So.
• That's where I am right now.  Hunkered down behind stacks of files, a few piles of books, two computers, about 3 pairs of cheaters, office supplies, and the flotsam and jetsam of my life.
• Works for me!

Nature-at-Home

While I'm recovering from all the March Madness* over here, I thought I'd give you a couple of quick Nature-at-Home Updates.

First, this:

(Click to embiggen.  I'm pretty sure that's a word.)

Yes.  It's Finch-Cam!  If I stand on a step stool . . . and then get on my tip toes. . . and then angle the camera just so. . . without bumping the door . . . I can take really mediocre photos of the finch nest behind my dead wreath!  (How cute is that finch?)

Now, this:

Remember Spot?  Well. . . she had babies before she put out her amazing beanstalk bloom!  Looks like five new agaves in all, and three are leafing out!  If you look really closely, you can see that there are actually spots on the leaf on the very far left in this photo. 

The leaves sprout from these little bud-things that emerge from the soil.

The plant-nerd in me is just so excited to see all this happening!

Then, there's this. . .

You might remember my blogging about killing a plant that looked very much like this.  Same charming moss-covered pot.   Same tiny topiary form.  Yes, I decided to try my luck again.  So I bought another "fairy vine" (or whatever it's called) and planted it in the charming pot and started it growing up the adorable little topiary form.  But THIS time, I set it in a bed of stones (to up the moisture and humidity), and I'm watering the heck out of it.  So far, so good!

This topiary, though. . . not so much.

This is an ivy topiary I planted back in February.  The ivy was thriving, and wrapping nicely around the heart-shaped topiary form.  Then, suddently, death.  I planted one for my Mom, too.  Same thing is happening to hers.  I'm thinking . . . it must be the form?   Not really sure what happened, but both my Mom and I are sad about the demise of our ivy plants. 

Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose.  That's how it is with Nature-at-Home!

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* Votes have been tablulated.  Winners have been notified.  Exciting conclusion to March Madness tomorrow.

Shining Star

Yesterday, I met my dear friend Sandie for coffee.  Which we drank outside. . . on the patio of our favorite coffee shop. . .at 9:00 in the morning. . . without coats or sweaters. . . in MARCH!  As you might imagine, our conversation began with garden updates and general freaking out about the extended warm hot spell.

One thing we both noted . . . is that not only are the trees blooming significanly earlier this year. . . but they're more beautiful.  Just stunning, actually.  Everywhere you look.  Weeping cherry trees, magnolias, forsythias -- all in full, gorgeous bloom!

I have a small Star Magnolia tree in my front flower bed.  This is it's third season in my garden.  It has bloomed each year --- but this year?  Wow!

Sandie and I decided that the blooms are so much more lovely this year than in other seasons. . .

because of the unusual, sustained, uninterrupted span of gorgeous weather.

Usually, in a typical Michigan spring, we might have a couple of days (in a row) of sunny days and warm temperatures.  Buds begin to emerge.  But then, nature rights itself and heads back to cold and maybe even freezing temperatures.  Often with rain or heavy snow.  The blooms are thwarted.  (Last year, my Star Magnolia bloomed for about 2 minutes before a storm knocked off all the blooms.  No time for a photo or anything.)

But this year?  No storms.  Just day after day (after day) of sunshine and warmth.  All of the blossoms were able to pop at one time.  And stay that way!

Shining stars!

Be Careful What You Wish For: A Riff

• We're enjoying a really weird weather pattern here in Michigan.
• It's warm.
• Like. . . really warm.
• We've had temperatures in the 70s and 80s (F) for a couple of weeks, now.  A few rain storms here and there, but, for the most part, warm and sunny and beautiful.
• Sometimes, we'll have a crazy-warm day (or maybe two in a row) during March and April.  But, for the most part, nothing sustained.
• Not like this.

• So. . . the weather is gorgeous.
• What am I complaining about?
• I'm trying not to freak out.  But.

• My Star Magnolia (above; as photographed yesterday morning) is about to bloom.  Now.  In the middle of March.  This is the same tree that appeared in Brian's prom photos (way back).  In early May.
• My forsythia are blooming. Already.
• My daffodils are finished.  Finished.  In mid-March.

• Trees and shrubs are budding - and leafing out.  There is spring green everywhere you look.  I have allium and tulips coming up. 
• According to the MSU Extension office, everything horticulture-related is about 6-8 weeks ahead of "normal."
• I hate to complain.
• But this is unnerving.

• Folks are out and about in shorts and tank tops and flip-flops.  You'd think we were a spring break destination or something.
• And the weather forecast. . . looks like more of the same!  (At least for another week.)
• Is this a problem?  I don't know.  But I'm sort of thinking it might be.

• Like I said, I'm trying not to freak out.  But I feel like I'm already way behind in my garden.  I've moved from "having the itch" to get out there. . . to not having the time to "get out there."
• Because my life isn't structured to actually have garden-time in March.  Or April.  I'm busy with other commiments.  And besides, I don't trust this weather. Really.
• And I'm not ready to lug out all my warm-weather clothes yet, either.
• Not.  Quite.  Yet.
• I know I wished for spring.  But this is a bit too much. . . a bit too early!
• I feel like I have suddenly been moved to a whole 'nother climate zone.
• Or something!
• One thing for sure, though . . . it's time for a pedicure.

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And. . . drum roll. . . congratulations to Amy!  She made the 5,000th comment on my blog last Tuesday!  A little prize package is on the way to her.  And thanks to all of you for your comments.  I appreciate your taking the time to step and out and say something here on my blog.  I love you all!

Right Plant, Right Place

As you all know, I love plants.  Out in my garden, or inside my house.  I love watching them grow and change.  I love it when they flourish.  I love sharing my space with foliage and blooms and roots. 

I do not, however, fuss with my plants.

Ever.

If you are one of my houseplants, I pay close attention to your light requirements, and I place you in the proper environment.  You get water once a week.  On Fridays.  But only if you're really dry.  In spring, when I'm more motivated, you might get a little plant food once in a while.  Every now and then, I may re-pot you.  I will pinch off your dead leaves and dust you when the mood strikes.  I will give you music, some conversation, and some laughter.

Beyond that. . . well, you're on your own.

A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting our local organic market/health food store and I found this sweet little plant, growing on a mini-topiary form, and I couldn't resist.  I brought him home with me.

This is not a good photo, and I am sorry about that.  Sadly, it is the only one I have.  The thing to note in this particular photo is that the plant is . . . alive.  And thriving.

The care tag on my new little plant looked like this:

LIES!

I put the little guy in my sunny, east-facing window.  I gave him water; a good drenching, actually.

"Keep moist?"  No.  That tag should read . . . "Provide bog-like conditions for this plant.  Water thoroughly every five minutes.  Be sure there is Not One Particle of Dry Soil in this pot.  Better yet, submerge the entire pot in water!"

Because two days after a drenching, this happened:

Dead.As.A.Doornail.

Crispy.  Beyond all hope.  A casualty.

At first, I was disappointed. 

But now?  Not so much.  I have a cool pot and a topiary form.  I'll find another plant to grow in its place.  One that isn't fussy and won't require constant care.  The adorable little angel vine?  Not the right plant; not in my place!

 

Taking It Inside

Okay.  It was just last week. . . that I was explaining about The Itch.   About how our non-existent winter was bringing on the urge-to-garden much earlier than usual.  About how I've already been out pruning the roses and spring-cleaning my garden beds.  About how I really couldn't trust it, though.

And here you have it.

While still not bad for mid-February-in-Michigan, it's definitely not get-out-in-the-landscape weather! 

So, what's a gardener . . . with The Itch. . . to do?

Why, take it inside, of course!

Last weekend, I set up a little gardening right there in my kitchen.  It felt great to get my hands in some soil.  Even if it was just packaged potting soil!

I transplanted several plants.  New ones (like this new agave). . .

and in-need-of-repotting plants (like this formerly overgrown succulent).

I planted two new ivy topiaries.

(One of these is for you, Mom!)

Such an easy - and sort of charming - thing to plant.

And I had way too much fun playing around with terrariums.

I made a big mess. . .

but it was a delightful afternoon! 

Almost as good as gardening outside.  And really. . . the best it's going to get in February!

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And . . . here's this week's blooming agave update!

It's wild!

Absolutely crazy!

I cannot WAIT to see what it does next!