The Big Rock Garden

Up at dawn on this picture perfect mountain morning, blissfully working in the Big Rock Garden.

 Named as such for a boulder the size of a Jeep Wrangler ~ hidden amongst a field of waterwise perennials.

 Butterflies and Bumbles flit about the flowers. A tiny green Hummingbird dives in for a quick bite.. then jettisons off to the next diner, just a little ways down the road.

I like to work out there, very early, because my quiet street is now a busy thoroughfare and ~ once the rest of the world wakes up ~ it's too crowded for my comfort zone. I feel like one of those garden ornaments, pointing my big arse toward the passers by.

I was cutting a swath down the center of this huge perennial garden because the poor devils are besot with weeds. And, it's an overwhelming chore, so I like to chop it into manageable bits, with a definite beginning and end to the project.

There's nothing much to this garden. Filled with your basic 'workhorse' perennials like this Johnson's Blue Geranium that flowers all summer long.

All the while I was out there I kept thinking about how I need to return a half dozen phone calls to people who need to talk things over.

Are you a do-er? Or, a talker?

Most folks sit somewhere in the middle. I'm planted firmly in the do-er category. With a paper thin layer of patience for the other half who have cleverly figured out that talking things over is an ideal way to postpone pretty much anything that needs to get done.

Or, do they talk because they're hoping someone else will make the decision for them? I've perfected the art of shrugging my shoulders and saying: dang'd if I know.

Hummingbirds go ga-ga over the Honeysuckle vines.

Re-hashing old subject matter absolutely wears me out. I've always felt this lack of patience is one of my biggest faults. But, I have plenty more...

Running a close second? How I'm pretty much always on time to anywhere I'm supposed to be. Like right now, for instance, when I was all packed up & ready to go! At exactly high noon, for our much anticipated road trip to Yellowstone. Here it is 1:45 and I'm still waiting for my ride to show up.

Don't ya just hate that?

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day ~ July, 2012

Glads, happily blooming in an old whiskey barrel, on the deck.

As I peck away, on my computer keyboard, I hear the soothing sound of rain drops outside my open window.

Just a sprinkle. This, on the heels of 2 consecutive, afternoon rains has me hopeful the tide has turned.

Clematis drape across the other side of the deck.

By all outward appearances, it has not been a good summer.

Oppressive heat, our western landscape so deadly dry... We went for 37 days without a drop of rain.

And, then. A rash of scary wildfires. Too close for comfort.

The wind carried ash in the breezes and left a reminder of this danger, as a layer of dust in the garden.

Sky Blue Flax, a volunteer wildflower, makes her home in the raised veggie bed.

Been using that as an excuse not to work out there.

The smoke. The heat. The... oh, give me a second and I'll come up with another excuse..

Penstemon, Primrose, & Geraniums

Instead, we've been saddling up the horses and combing the trails in search of wildflowers. (Like that's a cooler past time than pulling weeds in the hot, hot sun? Oh heck no! But, infinitely more enjoyable.)

I've been calling this my non-gardening year.

And, it's all because of.... a brand, spankin' new drip irrigation system!

Every single summer day, schlepping hoses dominated my life. Moving sprinklers, to and fro, caring for my flowers.

This year, I threw in that proverbial towel and automated the joint.

Catmint & Valerian

Oh! Joy! Free Time???

Plentiful designer weeds

I had never tallied up the number of hours I spent watering the gardens until I no longer had to do so.

In fact, I never really minded, since I love putzing with my flowers. But, it's given me the freedom to experiment with all kinds of precious posies I shied away from in previous years.

So, there ya have it. I've been a lazy gardener. And, a lazy garden blogger. Heck, I've been such a slacker I forgot to celebrate my 6th blogoversary (May, 2012.)

But it's been a glorious summer.

Here's hoping you're having a wonderful growing season, too.

Happy Bloom Day, Everyone!

Pay a visit to Carol @ May Dream Gardens to visit more flower lovers for this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day monthly meme.

Follow @Kate_HAGardens

Orange Crush

My 'bottle rockets' are happily celebrating the 4th of July.

I've always had a mad crush on the color orange. Can't, for the life of me, figure out why it's considered the 'color of insanity.'

Whaddyathink? Do you love it? Hate it? However you feel about orange, I'm sure you'll agree on one thing. Orange simply cannot be ignored.

I purchased a gorgeous orange dress one time. Back when I was skinny so I could wear pretty much anything. Except, maybe, that.

Whenever I wore it, people would ask me if I was feeling okay. Hmmm...

So, clearly orange is not my color. At least not on the bod.

But, that hasn't stopped me from squeezing it into every nook and cranny.. in the garden:



Here's hoping you're having a wonderfully lazy time of it during this holiday week. Happy 4th!