Monday, July 12, 2010

Gardening Incognito

May Night Salvia and Mom's transplanted Peonies

A lovely downpour saved this hose-schlepping hand-waterer tons of work in the flower beds, though my garden chores may never get done.

Happy weeds have so completely taken over that  I removed the little sign from the street garden that proudly identified this joint as "High Altitude Gardening."  

Clematis climbing vines

In years past, I wanted everybody to know who planted these pretty flowers! This year, it's probably best to remain incognito.

If passers by don't know a flower lovin' blogger lives here, perhaps they won't expect as much.

Faux Lilac: Weigela flowering shrubs bloom later than the lilacs, making it appear that I have pretty lilac blossoms all summer long.

I was giggling this morning while taking these pics. Each shot required an extra 5 minutes of weed pulling so you wouldn't see the Bermuda grass choking the life out of my pretty flowers!

Little Fairies: Linaria is one of the few annuals I grow by seed. Her tiny blossoms ~ about the size of your fingernail ~ give a nice wild look to neglected areas of the garden. (As in all areas of the garden this summer.)
Me & Meg (look close - she's sticking her tongue out at the camera. :)

Who's to blame for such neglectful gardening? Why the horse, of course! Were it up to me I'd stay home and pull weeds all day long.

22 comments:

KC said...

The weeds are happy when Meg and Bella are happy. Everybody wins! Remember, weeds are just wild flowers.

Lona said...

What beautiful horse.
The picture of the Salvia and peony is just so lovely together and your clematis is so pretty. Lilacs, I am so jealous. LOL!

Chloe m said...

I love it when it rains. It saves me time too! Then if I get motivated, ha ha, I might pull a thistle or too.

Your garden is looking lovely!

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

So Meg is opposed to weeding, lol? Linaria are one of the few things I haven't grown from seed. Weird! But they are cute. I'm glad I'm not the only one who weeds before taking photos (or takes macros). I was just thinking how my garden doesn't look so very garden-bloggery and yet... I'm a garden blogger and it's my garden, so it MUST be one!

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, KC!
I encouraged Meg to gobble tons of those false sunflowers -- in high hopes she might help them grow in the backyard.

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Thx, Lona;
This is the 4th year for the transplanted peonies and they are really doing fab. I'm so thrilled. :)

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Oh, Rosey, don't get me started on the thistle! If I could talk my flowers into growing as well as that horrid weed, I'd be a happy gardener, indeed!

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Monica;
You should grow those little fairies! They're so dainty and pretty. I just luv 'em. And, so does Meg. She eats 'em every chance she gets. :D

Shady Gardener said...

Really pretty photos - Looks good over there!! :-)

Snowcatcher said...

I needed a good chuckle today, and you provided it. I'm embarassed to show you what my garden looks like after four months of nothin' but cycling...

Maybe I could run over the weeds with my bike... Naaa. The clay would stick to the tires!

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Thx, Shady!
Your lovely yard is looking pretty fab, too. :)

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hey, Snowcatcher!
See? Now that's why you should be riding horses instead of biking. At the end of a long, fun day my ride happily EATS those weeds! (If only I could teach her to pull them out by the roots.) :D

A Garden of Threads said...

The weeds will always be there, enjoy your time out with Bella seeing the sights.

jan said...

I have learned something here, today! My sister passed off the faux lilac as the real thing when I visited her last month! I can't be mad, though. She thought they were lilac and she knows how much I miss them... I hear you on the weeds! Sometimes you stay ahead of them and sometimes they get ahead of you!

Anonymous said...

Meg is the perfect excuse for weeds left to grow, Kate, you make such a cute pair, tongue and all! We are full of weeds here as well. I was hoping the National Wildlife Habitat sign at the front of my yard would excuse the weeds as food crops for the critters to my neighbors. So far it has worked. :-)
Frances

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Truer words never spoken Garden of Threads,

I guess if we love gardening we must learn to tolerate weeds. :)

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

That's one smart sister, Jan. :) I really love these shrubs - they grow much faster though they don't have the marvelous fragrance of lilacs.

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Oh, thx, Frances,
I laughed so hard when I saw that picture - it's practically impossible to get Meg to hold still for a photo op. I was so thrilled to finally get a good one. And then I saw the little dickens had stuck out her tongue out at the camera...!

Melanie J Watts said...

Looks like you flowers are doing great anyway, despite the fact you don't weed. Enjoy riding the horse Kate.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

OMG ! I'm just trying to catch up on posts now in the middle of mayhem ? haha .. I love that Meg did "her thing" to the camera !!!
Too darn funny .. it must be like heaven there Kate .. I envy your closeness to real nature girl : )
Joy

Iron Needles said...

It's always the horse, of course!

I would dearly love to see your garden, weeds and all.

Iron Needles said...

And whatever about the lilacs! If it smells like a rose....