Otis' white-tipped mood indicator set to "fine"; we've had ample rain.Otis questioning me about the "Mexican Sunflowers"; we've never grown them before, but think some will be orange and we do live in TN; "Go big Orange." Baseball team ranked first in nation, girl's softball ranked third; I like to watch fit young women through hard underhanded, but not as much as ice skating.
Cilantro turns into coriander; I can't stand the taste of it (genetic) but do admire the flowers.
Peonies fading; Chrysanthemum coming on; those have been there a LONG time; it bothers me nowadays, the varieties sold, many of them annuals, and planting in the fall or just displaying and discarding; old gardening books recommend pinching the blooms back, make the plant exert more vigor and creating more branches and thus flowers;
I think that is mean to the plant, why work it so hard, relax; soak up the sun; you have fertile soil at your roots and I will water you.
Pooching my jaw out with my tongue; donning a cape covered in crescent moons and gargoyle heads, waving my arms in a curious but potent fashion.
As the blue ball Alliums fade, thumbergia runs riot, ready to grasp the tobacco sticks, weave and turn yellow flowers to the sun; THUS, Shall the Solstice be marked, one month from now; Naked we shall celebrate, dance, feel primitive, pay homage to our genes and wild ass ancestors.
The sticks shall NOT be used to burn witches, even if they own a cat, but to light the way in song, in dance, into the mysteries of Dionysus!
Kneeling, digging my fingers into Mother Earth, feeling her pulse; riding her, agreeing with Atlas, oooh, give me strength.
May your gourds grow long handles.
Pan!Lord!
Well, in ALL HONESTY...I ate roadkill too. Snapping turtle, it was! Freshly hit! Cooked up in a pressure cooker! A finer dish I have rarely, if EVER tasted!
Starr: Elk were reintroduced to Cataloochee area of Great Smoky Mountains, and they don't read maps well, or watch for vehicles on the interstate; the one I ate, son found crippled by side of river, knocked from interstate, soooo, it was still alive until he mercy killed it and we ate it to the great glory.
Why am I NOT surprised that you eat road-kill, Pan!? HUH????!!!!! Fists on my hips, staring.
Pan....I do NOT believe that ELK are running free in YOUR STATE!
Starr: I disdain tiny shovels and rakes! Listen, Elk have been reintroduced around here; ate one two years ago that got hit on the interstate, pretty good, anyway; I think an Elk could break through poultry wire; especially if it was rusty and it would deteriate quickly with ground contact.
Arms crossed, side-eying YOU.... Pan, not everyone uses a danged TRACTOR to till up a garden, some of us use a tiny shovel and a little garden rake!Pacing now! CLEARLY agitated! GAZE VERY NARROW!!!
Probably those danged ELK anyway!
Starr: No lover of the land, of amending and refreshing the soil would even consider poultry wire except for penning up CHICKENS that SHIT everywhere unless suitably contained. AND, how do you know what caused Orlando's Alliums to not flower as well this year, huh? Laughing, Breaking free of the headlock, breathing deep voles, moles and things that go bump in the night, bullshit; could of been a soil pathogen, maybe a gopher lives near Orlando, but I know, that I do NOT know what is wrong with his Allium and I do KNOW, that putting a bunch of poultry wire in the ground is a damn mistake!
PanurgeGripping your neck with a slow, steadily increasing pressure until your face turns a lovely shade of PURPLE!
Pan...I know what I'm talking about! Geez....
Orlando: I am no expert on Allium; only my second year growing them; the ones came back around the stump, but were not as spectacular as the year before; all I can say is daffodils are generally as spectacular, year after year, tulips, maybe three or four years, but squirrels love their bulbs.Pay NO attention to Starr about the poultry wire; can you imagine getting that wrapped around tiller tines or trying to amend the soil through it.
Starr: I'll send you some pics when the yellow and white marigolds bloom.
Things are looking very good this year Pan. Send me pictures of the yellow and white marigolds when they open, please.
OrlandoYou need to build a bulb cage out of poultry wire to plant your bulbs in. The voles, moles, mice are eating your bulbs. Also kill the grubs....
The cage will allow the flowers to grow up and out, but many of the critters will not be able to get to them. You may want to make the bottom part of out hardware cloth/wire and the top out of poultry wire for added protection.
Elk, black bears and prairie dogs will eat the bulbs too...among other pests.
Looking good as always, Pan. I’ll bet things look fantastic next month.
What is the deal with our allium? It's spectacular for one year, and then never comes back, yet it's supposed to be perennial.I love your garden's progress, Pan. Thanks for sharing.
Bellyrub for Otis
Enjoys the flowers while scritching Otis...
Thanks everyone for kind comments.
Oh....and cilantro here is still called coriander as a plant....grin
I am shocked Pan! You don't like coriander??? I love it. I often add the leaves to salads cos it tastes so lovely. Those alium heads look like huge dandelion seed heads. When the seed blew off in the wind, we called the 'fairies' over here. Also used to blow the seeds off the heads to 'tell the time'....LOL
i always enjoy a walk in your garden when i am around, and you make it sound even better, tomorrow will be full moon, it makes it even better, a stroll in a garden.
Winter is on its way here now. Almost time to hit the road and travel again.I enjoy your photos and prose, together they make poetry.
Somehow my cilantro plant has returned, suffering through a mild winter. The Rosemary and Thyme are rugged and will last for years.How I love the stroll through your estate with Otis leading the way. Such beauty and life.
I hope you have cooperative weather for the solstice celebration.
cait~: I'm sorry your front yard peonies have been "beaten to death" I don't like blaming rain for it, but yeah, that dang wind! Glad there is solace in the back yard, ants be damned.vaash: Interesting about coriander spice not engendering same reaction as herb cilantro.
Cilantro turns into coriander... I enjoy using both in cooking but I get that it is a flavor that one either loves or hates. Coriander, as a spice, doesn't seem to engender the same intolerance as the herb cilantro.
The peonies out front have been beaten to death by the rain and wind.... and the ones in the backyard are strong & tall but the ant's have yet to find them so they stay closed.