Pooh and Piglet

Traditionally, a memory garden honors those we’ve loved who are no longer with us. 

It can be a generic type such as seen in church yards, cemeteries, and parks.

It can be about a specific person, pet or death in general. 

Like funerals, memory gardens are for the living.  They should bring comfort, a cherished remembrance, and perhaps even a smile.  Some memory garden insights:

Commercial signs, stepping stones and statues are in abundance with angels and verses.

In the Eastern, Asian and African cultures, white often symbolizes mourning and death.  In cold climates, white is the color of winter or the death of summer.  A white themed garden can be beautiful, especially at night.  White flowers are often very fragrant.

Black is traditional for mourning in Japan, Taiwan, European nations and the Americas.  

Certain religions have specific colors for mourning – some being violet, black and white.

Objects portraying mourning infiltrated the nineteen century and symbolized broken life.  The use of broken columns, draped urns, weeping willows and extinguished torches were seen in tombstones, literature, and gardens. 

A mourning garden should not only be pretty, it should provide comfort.  Comfort is in the eye of the beholder and yours should be exclusively what helps you.  

Shade is cool and restful and is easier to enjoy during the heat.  A sunny area is cheerful and might pick up your spirits.

A place to comfortably sit is as old as time in memory gardens; a simple rock beside a grave, a granite bench tombstone, and park benches.  No need to think traditional, comfort is the only criteria if you want to linger any time at all.

There are millions of flowers that have people’s names or feelings.  A daylily garden with names such as “Kindly Light”, “Little Heavenly Angel”, “Pure and Simple”, “So Lovely”, “Tender Love”, or others.  Flowers could be your loved one’s favorite.               

As with funerals and family customs, respect for those that are mourning is important.  Regions, nationalities, religions all may differ but one thing for sure, respect stands out as the first custom considered by most.  The things included in a memory garden should show respect to the one who has passed and to the survivors.  If that means adding a hubcap from a ’54 Ford to the garden, so be it.  If your loved one was all about bright colors, plant a garden full.  If you want to bury a little box with Spot’s favorite chew toy, go for it.

Your memory garden is how you spell love. 

From Winnie the Pooh:

Piglet, "How do you spell love?" 

Pooh, "You don't spell it... you feel it."

The above daylily "Hey Mr. Blue" was planted in memory of my friend, David Johnson, who died in Vietnam.   

X is for Papaver

I could not come up with a reasonable article on "X".  I'd already written Xeriscope Me back in July 2009.  Nothing is as boring for a writer as revisiting a story unless I've totally forgotten and do a repeat and then it's not because it's that interesting, it's due to short term memory being buried with last year's bulbs...

Today, I'm going to expound on annual poppies because I've seen loads being advertised in paper and on-line catalogs.  If you've ever raised annual poppies, you know they are twice as beautiful in the garden.  No photo does them justice. 

Annual poppies are so fragile looking they look as if they are made of some expensive silk or by an expert pastry chief.  They aren't all that fragile and typically self seed easily. 

They need rich soil and full to partial sun.  Get them in the ground right after the last frost for the longest blooming season.  Deadhead some of the flowers to prolong bloom time.  If you want them to self seed, you'll have to let some go. 

There are very short and single petal varieties - such as the California types.  Others may grow to several foot, some are super double, most are fragrant.  They go into vases easily and take little care.  Some nurseries carry plant sets.  If you mulch, the tiny seeds must have light on the soil to sprout so either use the little seed starter containers or scrape away the mulch until the plant is a good 3 inches tall. 

Annual poppies are perfect for cottage gardens and look especially nice when taking little spaces between and around perennials.

These are not the same as the beautiful perennial poppies, although the blooms do have similar characteristics.  The perennial poppies have another set of planting and care criteria.

This photo of two-toned red and white poppy was taken from Annie's Annuals at www.anniesannuals.com

Take a look at your catalogs for a variety of these little beauties.  Add a sticky note for the ones that trip your trigger - or in a lame attempt to stay on task:  X will mark the spot!

Loosing Eloise

Today, a best friend and close as a sister cousin passed away after a long battle with cancer. 

That's Eloise in the front in the little pink dress and the bow in her hair looking angelic and that's me second from her left with dark hair looking like a little mischief maker.  Truth is, we were a little of both.  Because we were close in age, both girls, and our folks were together every week of our young lives, we had a bond no time or distance could erase.

Being a sentimental type person has led me to keep things that haven't much worth other than they are tied to a memory.  A little this or that can bring a memory of some event or of someone special. 

Sweet memories of my mother's "French" iris, the Boston ferns my Grandma Shenk had in pots on her summer porch, and the blue corn flowers that were a favorite of my friend, June.

I can't imagine a garden without memories tied to them.  It's why I have a cottage garden style in my yard.  It allows me to tuck in every odd plant willy nilly just because it holds a memory for me.

Where there isn't a specific flower, I've loaded (and overloaded) a bed with daylilies named after family.  Since Eloise wasn't much into gardening (she was married to a career Air Force man and lived all over the world), I'm thinking an "Eloise" daylily will be perfect.

Today I may cry again for her suffering and my loss.  Tomorrow I may touch a flower and smile at her memory.

“Let’s be grateful for those who give us happiness,

they are the charming gardeners who make our soul bloom.”

- Marcel Proust

  

Happy Happy Happy

Happy! 

Ecstatic! 

Joyful! 

Or, just plain Glad! 

Oh, there's nothing plain about Glads - better known as Gladiolus. 

If they're so beautiful, so easy, and make everyone so glad, why don't we see them in gardens more often?  My guess it's the whole daunting thing about planting those little bulb-like things in the spring and digging them up in late fall.  So friends I'm here today to debunk all the reasons you may offer for not having glads - or being glad - or glad handing. . . . . .

First, a little history:  Gladiolus is from the Latin word gladius meaning a sword.  It's in the iris family and is considered a bulb known as a corm.  It is sometimes called the sword lily and they are mostly native to Africa.  They have a rich relationship with insects both for pollinating, use of nectar and are food for some larvae.

Glads have been extensively hybridized and are a major product for florists.  Glads symbolize strength and moral integrity.  They represent infatuation, with a bouquet conveying to a recipient that they pierce the giver’s heart with passion.

Glads are the "birth flower" for August birthdays and 40th wedding anniversary flowers. And there is a whole boat load of things you could know about glads but let's just move on to your garden and mine.

First, glad corms may be purchased individually or in bulk.  They can be fairly cheap from a big box store.  They can be a new hybrid and only one will cost as much as a new pair of shoes.  There are other differences between cheap and expensive.  Cheap bulbs tend to be smaller and you pay more for larger.  Smaller bulbs means smaller stems, flowers and perhaps production.  Cheaper usually means not as many color choices.

Here's the test:  If you buy glads and simply cannot make yourself dig them up each fall - buy cheap.  You're what we call "Cazzzzz" or the casual lover of glads.  If you're more into glads, then move down to the next paragraph and get GLAD!

You can get beautiful hybrid glads in the medium price range - about 8 for $10.  The flowers may be larger, have color combinations that are wild and wowzer, texture may be pearlized or velvet, and the edges may be ruffled.  IF you dig up your glad corms each fall - the price of good bulbs becomes so much cheaper if you think how many years you will use that same bulb or some of it's babies.  

Here's some things to know when planting glad corms: 
They like sun and well drained soil that gets plenty of moisture.
Start planting about the time the leaves start to come on your trees.
Plant in intervals of two weeks and you'll have weeks worth of blooms.
If it's dry, water once a week.
Apply liquid fertilizer about every ten days from when buds appear to when flowers are in bloom.
Mulch.
Dig up before it frosts.  Trim off any leaves to about one inch above corm.  Don't trim down the leaves prior to digging up because you will forget where they are - I promise.
Store in a cool, frost free, well ventilated place.  I lay them on newspapers on my basement shelf.  Others hang them in old nylon stockings from a nail.  They shouldn't dry out totally or be so wet they mold.

If you plant one color together, it usually gives more impact.
Planting around perennial flowers and bushes helps to hold them up when it's windy.  Otherwise, you may want to stake and tie them. 

I tuck them around my daylilies (being careful not to damage the daylily roots).  They can look nice near perennials that bloom in the spring.  It's a way to add color to an area where it is mostly green leaves in the summer/fall. 

I mostly use my glads for bouquets/cutting so I'm less than caring about where they are in relation to other plants. 

It's so easy to get glad!  

  

Pretty Pictures

Pretty Pictures ~ Pretty Ribbons of Blue

Pretty pencils to write "I love you."

OK, OK, I know I've taken liberty with the lyrics, but they go so lovely with these garden themed photos.   Most of these photos are from the ~Romantic~Vintage Home~ facebook page and Karen is gracious to share with others.

This is a bit of a fluff piece although most gardeners are inspired by the beauty around them.  These photos are beauty from the simple to the wonderfully over-the-top.  Enjoy!

This is the over-the-top creation - made from fresh flowers.  Don't you wonder why this was created - what event - the client?

No doubt this takes "Shabby Chic" to a whole new level.  And my husband and I have had a few laughs about this photo.  To explain:  Husband was born in an area of the country where there might be a multitude of vehicles and car parts in the yard.  Much of it is on cement blocks - involves rust and high weeds.  Admittedly, they say the same thing we gardeners say, "I have a plan for it." 

Old architectural pieces (in this case an old door) can be used as garden accents if done with aesthetics in mind. **see the above for those that might slip into what we call "Georgia yard ornaments".  Old doors can be used to fence off an area, leaned against something to add character, to make an entry into a little area or as a arbor.  Life of these pieces isn't all that long in our area of the country.  Still it can be a beautiful accent in the right garden and used well.  

Many of Karen's garden photos involve entertaining and/or eating and drinking.  What I enjoy about them is most are done with what someone had on hand (or gives that impression).  I so like the idea of taking a little of this and a little of that and the end result is beautiful.  It takes the pressure off first timers that they must have real china, real crystal, real silver, real butlers and waiters - you get the idea.  My idea of REAL is how a host or hostess treats their guests.

I loved this one (yes, I'm a farm girl) and thought my husband would find it a project HE would want to jump right into.  Those of you familiar with barbed wire know it's difficult to work with in the most simple situations - let alone bend into this beautiful form.  I haven't given up hope although I'm guessing there is precious little hope my husband will put it on his "to do list".

I'll close with the beautiful little corner.  It looks so easy and that's the fooler for really beautiful shabby chic.  It's not always easy to look easy.  Done poorly, it could like a corner where junk has been left to fall apart.  Pulled together with the right kind of flowers, in the right places, the "casual" placing of the quilt and it becomes a showpiece.

Have a lovely Saturday - dream a little dream for me! 

Seeds of Wisdom

I’m an advocate of organic mulch to help control weeds, preserve moisture and improve the soil as the mulch decomposes.  How then are we suppose to plant seeds without undoing all our mulching work?

• ·       Only plant perennials.

·        Use only plant sets from a nursery.

·        Use only plant sets you’ve grown over the winter.

·        Or, try the following.

1. Once the danger of frost is over, purchase the little peat starter pots or make your own out of newspaper.
2. Set them side by side in an old rimmed cookie sheet.
3. Fill each to within ½ inch of the top with potting soil.
4. Gently water this mixture.  Allow water to stand in the tray to about ½ inch.
5. Check the next day to make sure the pot and soil is damp.
6. Plant two seeds in each pot following the directions for that variety.
7. Move a small area of mulch aside with your hand.
8. Dig down in the soil to half the depth of the pot.
9. Water the hole.
10. Set the pot gently into the hole.
11. Make sure the soil is pushed against the side of the pot.
12. Push mulch back around the pot but not over the potting soil.
13. When the seeds sprout to about 1 inch, pull the weakest one in each pot.  If done gently, they can be transplanted to another area or a flower pot.  Otherwise, dispose of them.
14. Keep the little plants damp (not soggy) by watering gently so as not to wash out the seed/sprout. 
15. If there is going to be a hard rain, you may want to lay an old sheet over the pots until it’s over.
16. Once the plants are taller, leafed out, and established, brush more mulch around them.

A few additional hints for those of you who drool over your new plant catalogs this time of the year:  Some vendors list the number of seeds to a particular order.  Do you want 1,000 of the same variety?  Knowing the number of seeds in a packet allows you to get the most for your needs.  You can always share seeds, although, not everyone will have your same needs and wants.  Most local nurseries carry a small variety of the most common seed varieties.  Seeds are much more economical than buying plant sets IF you actually use them all.  Make sure your seed supply vendor sells only new seeds.  A packet of old seeds may not be so cheap if only a few sprout. 

Here are a few of my favorite annuals easily grown from seed:  Four O’clock, Alyssum, Phlox, Nicotina, Cleome, California poppy, Forget-Me-Not, Cornflower, Cosmo, Nasturtium, Marigold, and Zinnia.  A garden filled with these would be a beautiful summer-long cutting garden.

I turn to Henry Ward Beecher for this seed of wisdom, "As for marigolds, poppies, hollyhocks, and valorous sunflowers, we shall never have a garden without them, both for their own sake, and for the sake of old-fashioned folks, who used to love them."

Pe-TOO-nee-uh

This Petunia is an old fashioned climbing petunia with attributes galore!  I've found conflicting names and descriptions for the actual botanical name.   

In our area, the petunia is the workhorse of summer annual gardens and pots.  New varieties have many new colors, forms and resistance.  Who of us hasn't marveled over the "Wave" series when they flow over the sides of hanging pots? 

If your ancestors had flower gardens, they probably included the old fashioned petunia multiflora variety.  It's one of those plants that almost disappeared in lieu of the newer varieties.  After all, who wants a petunia that's leggy, refuses to behave, and only comes in pastel pinks, whites and lavendars?  I do!  I do!

This heirloom plant variety was abandoned by commercial seed growers and you may only get seeds today from speciality and heirloom flower growers or from friends.

The lovely vines (up to 3 foot) are one of the most fragrant evening  flowers you could plant.  Fragrance is one of the things bred out of most current hybrids. 

This variety blooms all summer, likes lots of sun and self seeds.  In most cases, once you have a successful planting, you will have this beautiful heirloom for years.  It is recommended they be fertilized (as all potted plants should) but if they are in fertile garden soil, they will do well without additonal fertilizers.    

This petunia was usually planted near a porch or entrance.  It would lay it's pretty flowers up and over the posts and braces and provide a lovely scent while folks sat on their porches in the evening.  Simple pleasures!

An added plus, these plants are attractive to bees, butterflies and birds.

Their soft colors are attractive in cottage gardens, informal beds and as ground cover around taller perennials.   

Do they have any problems? 
To keep blooming, they must be deadheaded occassionally.  Pull off the bloom or give them a little haircut with your garden shears.  Don't do a month before frost if you want it to self seed.  
They also tend to look rather sad after a rainstorm.  They will perk up on their own.
They belong to the nightshade family (same as potatoes and tomatoes) and won't grow well near walnut trees.
Towards the end of the season, they may look a little scraggly, but, they're well worth that small issue.

Heirloom and the new varieties isn't an either/or situation.  There's a place for both if that's what you like. 

Some places where you can find the seeds for sale: 
www.SelectSeeds.com -  listed as "petunia - old-fashioned climbing"
www.heirloomseeds.com  -  listed as "petunia old-fashioned vining"

Side Note:  The photos are of this heirloom petunia.  The seeds came from my late neighbor, Clarence Medley.  These two photos show self seeding in our stone walk.  I've always wondered how I can do three-hundred things to ensure a plant grows well in all the right conditions and then have something grow in the crack of a stone/brick walk...