Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Frosty Watery Ways


Yesterday was a warm sunny day and I spent it in the garden. Well it was warm and sunny for December 1st, at least for Washington state. You may recall my incessant whining all through November that it was raining in biblical proportions making it nearly impossible to garden without scuba gear. -Insert add for Noah’s Ark and Garden Supplies- The two hours of sunlight we did have in November found me stuck inside doing the bidding of the little alien village people. This year they even wanted a waterfall. Can you believe the nerve? I told them absolutely not, I would not build them a waterfall. I told them they would just have to make do with fake fluffy snow like the rest of their people and that was that!
Have you ever seen the movie Village of the Damned with those creepy little kids who just stare at you in British accents and make you do things you'd never do on your own?
The villagers have TWO waterfalls now. I never did get outside.


Then finally the sun came out and I rushed outside happy as a kid jacked up on PixySticks. I was finally going to whack down all the garden plants that had turned to mush during the month of Noah. I had gotten the pond plants out even though they didn’t want to go. They are currently over by the compost pile, sulking and making plans for a counter insurgence. Well now it was everybody else’s turn to meet my whackers. --Somehow that just sounds wrong on so many levels. Annywho—The gloves were on, whackers in hand (again wrong) and the wheel barrel in place. It was going to be like shooting fish in a barrel. No, no, not MY fish, some other fish. You know, barrel fish. So there I am ready to tackle the brown wretched annuals the sad yellowed perennials and to cut back those roses.

Then what am I greeted with? Open defiance, that’s what I tell you! Open defiance. Still just as green as you please and doing quite nicely thank you. Why the pineapple sage is blooming right along and the nasturtium has had a growth spurt. Roses are slowly blooming and there are even sunflowers that pretend they might flower just for novelties sake. There is even a fully ripe bud on an a completely insane oriental poppy under the weeping cherry tree.

The truth is obvious to any of you real gardeners out there. Nothing unusual is really going on around here other than me. I’m wandering around out there like Gomer Pyle with a dumb as a box of rocks grin plastered on my face pointing at stuff and saying things like “Well gawlly” and “Surprise, surprise, surprise.” I just don’t know enough not to be completely impressed that plants are continuing to grow out there. Not just because it’s December but because it’s MY garden. Remember I’m the one with no dirt and literally a box of rocks. A really big box of rocks. So yeah, I’m pretty tickled with the fact that my plants are hanging on and not giving up the fight. It is exciting to me to see them growing thriving.

I suppose that is what hooks you.
The thrill of seeing life happening because you did something to help it happen. I may be yapping up a storm about how my crazy in denial garden doesn’t know enough to quiet down for the winter but in secret I am cheering it on. Those insane poppies and tenacious daisies are my underdog teams. I will avoid actual team references because I don’t want to start a riot on my blog. Suffice it to say I’m am out there in the stands with green paint smeared on my face cheering them on. I'm sure there is some important design elements to face paint smearing in sports but I have no idea what that might be. We’re a team, my green guys and me. They came to play and I came to root for them. No matter what they do I am backing them 100%. Now I finally understand how you sports fans feel. My team’s just green and has pretty little flowers.

Today was another sunny day, another day to spend in the garden. Well, that is if it wasn’t more like hanging out in a meat locker. Brrr. We got our first real frost last night and if the sun didn’t hit stuff directly it just stayed crunchy. I was glad to have cleared the pond because it was nicely iced this morning. The rest of the garden is still hanging in there but the nasturtiums are not long for the world and I am sure the others will soon follow. There is snow in our forecast in the next week. I told the Saint that if he wanted to forestall the snow he should get right out there and put the snow tires on. That has the same effect as washing your car except with snow in reverse.
I have put all seven hundred bulbs on the front porch in order to beguile myself into planting them. I may even actually do it. The most important thing to know about planting bulbs is to do it on the coldest day on record and time it so that you finish up by flashlight just as it is beginning to snow. It should work out just right this year. If that plan doesn't work out then I plan to tie ribbons on them and use them as tree ornaments.
All in all it's has been a great year in my early gardening career. If it snows like it did last year these may be the last flowery shots you get out of me for awhile. At least until the Christmas bulb ornaments start blooming. When that happens I am going to be all over that!

21 comments:

  1. Oh LeSan ~ A wide grin has been on my face through most of your post. I loved seeing your world as it is right now with your wonderful sense of humor. A lovely way to start the day.

    FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
  2. LeSan, you are certainly full of surprises. First you write like a Hollywood screenwriter with your interesting stories and humour. Next when I click on the little photos, I am rewarded with such a big picture. Wow.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That would be quite the idea! Bulbs for ornaments. :-) I think I am past the "rooting" for life stage with my garden as a lot of my poppies have gone to mush to the ground and I wonder how I'm going to peel them off the ground...

    ...but for a long time, I did marvel at the plants' hardiness and cheered them on. I really enjoyed this year's Indian Summer.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Le Sans, I love how you scatter your lovely images though your text ... not giant images but smaller jewels we can open and walk through. Who says that big is better... you just may have converted me back to my beginnings. Your water surface is a an escape into colors, textures and forms enhanced with golden icy highlights. Beautiful! Your narrative as always a joy to read... wit and wisdom all throughout. I love the bulb ornaments and your analogy of passion for sports and gardening. With all the November rain no wonder everything looks so lush and green. Hope you have a sunny warm day to get those bulbs planted.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's an intriguing idea, bulbs as ornaments. Sounds like something my Dad would try.
    Yeah for the green team! Congratulations on your successess, they will hook you for sure now! Very enjoyable writing!
    Rosey

    ReplyDelete
  6. We sure did get the first real frost yesterday. It was surprising to finally see it. I think, like your plants, I was secretly in denial that winter is coming, just like I was when I had to finally admit summer was over. Your pond is so pretty, don't you just love having it this time of year? I love seeing the layer of ice and the birds (but not my dog) trying to walk on it.
    Snow next week? Now I'm nervous, not much time for Christmas shopping before my kids are out on break.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I could set on your bench and watch the garden for hours. A pretty spot.
    Those poor frosty flowers. They do make for gorgeous pictures though even in their demise.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Don't you just love it when your garden keeps blooming despite the cold weather?

    I hope your bulb-planting goes well!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ha ha! I loved the Village of the Damned reference...it is the epitome of kid creepy.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a lovely blog!
    Thanks
    Zina Chmielowski

    ReplyDelete
  11. aaaaw geeeee! I just really dug your winter in denial plants, its just a nice surprise to see that some stalwarts are still kicking in....enjoying reading your writing for the first time, i really feel the moment when i see your garden, lets hope for more happy garden moments during the holidays!

    noel

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh you are SO my soul sister!!! I've been out there cheering on the stuff that refuses to believe it's winter and rejoicing that my fuschia has got buds on it! I've also got a sack of bulbs that haven't quite made it into the ground yet........ and as for the number of times Himself has come out with a torch to look for me?! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sounds like winter has arrived there, too. Love your photos with the frost.
    When do we get to meet the Village People?

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love Pixy Sticks and Gomer Pyle. In high school I snorted a Pixy Stick on a dare. Stung like a mad hornet. Not recommended. Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  15. HI Lesan: Its working now, you did it. Nice job realy enjoy your posts.

    Have a great Evening,
    John

    ReplyDelete
  16. You still have lots of tiny touches of colour and prettiness to enjoy before its all under snow.

    ReplyDelete
  17. FLOWERLADY~ I am so happy that I could make you smile this morning or at least the other morning when you actually read the post. You think this is cool seeing my world as it is now? Just wait a few days and I bet I will have snow to show you my Florida friend. I working like mad out there trying to shove some compost/mulch between these silly plants before it hits. LOL

    AUTUMN BELLE~ Too funny and much to generous a compliment from you. (big smile here) I am glad you enjoyed this post Autumn Belle. I enjoyed your comment!


    JEWEL~ My poppies are oddly still hanging in there. They sent up their next years growth and some even bloomed a second time recently. I suppose one day I too will put away my garden pom-poms but for now I am enjoying the spectacle. Thank you for stopping in Jewel.

    CAROL~ You always leave the nicest comments Carol. I got pretty lucky with the icy pond shots. The light was hitting it just right and it was actually the cattails that caused the golden reflections on the ice. Everything does still look pretty green out there but I was afraid of what is happening now. It’s all up and growing and the temps have dropped rapidly to freezing. Oh well, at least it’s stopped raining long enough for me to get out there and mulch up. The bulbs may have to wait till after the snow.
    Thank you for your sweet compliment and for taking the time to write it. Reading it makes my day.

    ROSEY POLLEN~ Your dad sounds like quite a character. Frankly I am surprised some avid gardener has not already done this with the bulbs. We could go with a whole gardening theme. I mean hey, if you put tinsel or ribbon on it counts as Christmassy.
    Rosey, I appreciate your comments every time~

    CATHERINE~ You sound so much like me and I like that. It’s nice to know I am not alone. It had been one of the longest hottest summers for us and then a very mild November. December definitely put an end to our cozy delusions though didn’t it? I am rushing about stuffing mulch between all those plants before we get a much deeper freeze or snow this next week. I do love having a pond. I saw my seventy plus pound dog
    Walking on it last winter and would have been horrified if I had not just been out there trying to break the ice with a sledge hammer and it barely chipped it. That was before fishes as do know that you can kill your fish with the sound waves. Ouch.

    HOCKING HILLS~ You are most welcome to come sit on my bench and watch the flowers and the birds as long as you like. Might I suggest a summer visit? Winter isn’t our best bench sitting weather. LOL
    Thank you for the comment. :-D

    AZ PLANTLADY~ I think I love it when the garden keeps blooming. I know I sure love the tenacity and the flowers but I wonder about them surviving the freezing temps and snow if the get hit while still up and green. It’s a conflict on interest on my part.
    I started planting the bulbs the other day and had to use a spoon to dig with so I didn’t hurt the plants. Now this is going to take some time at that rate!

    ReplyDelete
  18. JOSHUA PATTON~ You know it buddy! Village of the Damned is totally kid creepy for all time. It is an old flick but they nailed it. Thank you for leaving a message. I was very pleased to see it!

    ZINA CHMIELOWSKI~ Thank you Zina very much for stopping in and more so for taking the time to leave a comment and such a nice one as well. :-D

    NOEL~ What a great comment to read from you. Thank you so much. This is the first really full year with the garden but I don’t think I should expect much over the next few months. Of course I have no idea how this place may surprise me. It has been a pretty big and pleasing surprise so far. I hope you visit again!

    NUTTY GNOME~ Again Nutty, I say check your birth certificate. I am sure we were separated at birth. I can just imagine the tone Himself uses too when he has to come fetch you from midnight gardening. No doubt the same one the Saint uses on me. LOL
    I really appreciate your comments. Please keep leaving them for me. :-D

    PATCHWORK~ Linda winter did arrive and it is supposedly bring snow with it next week! Brrrr. I’m glad you liked the photos. I starting to get pretty hard up for something to shoot. You will get to meet the Village People soon, very soon….

    TARA~ OMG! You snorted a Pixy Stick? I don’t think I could ever look at one of those again after something like that. It must have stung like a nest of mad hornets, not just one. Tara thank you for reading and leaving comments. I really value them.

    JWLW~ John thank you for alerting me that there was a problem. I would hate to have never known why you stopped commenting. It turned out to be a very easy fix but I still don’t understand it. I just got lucky and clicked the right button I suppose. Have a great weekend.

    GLENNIS~ Oh Glennis it is so true. I have been enjoying the little bits of flowers that are still showing but we are expecting snow this next week. Last year it started snowing at the same time and over Christmas Eve we got three feet of it. I won’t be seeing those flowers for some time if that happens again. Thank you for taking the time to write a comment. I really enjoy knowing that you are out there and reading my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Sorry, LeSan, did you say seven HUNDRED bulbs? I planted (no lie) TEN last year and was depressed when only 6 came out. Using that formula (logical gal that I am) I would throw myself under a bus the spring following a seven hundred bulb planting mission.

    Kudos.

    ReplyDelete
  20. HIGHLYIRRITABLE~ Yes, that's right. Seven freaking hundred of those little buggers. I have serious issues. You see it all started when...
    The trick is that when you plant so many you just don't care anymore. The first year I planted bulbs out of one hundred daffodils I got THREE. I also had planted 900 tulips that did come up so I really didn't give a bean about the stupid daffodils. It's sort of a governmental concept. Throw enough money at the problem and it will go away. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  21. LeSan, I cannot believe I haven't visited your blog before. You've got some beautiful gardens. Good luck with your bulbs. I picked up another 300 today. It's supposed to rain Tuesday. At least the digging will be easy.

    ReplyDelete