Well Done....Carry On

I guess there is no going back now, after two days of stripping sod from the central garden, two loads of crushed gravel in my spiffy newish trailer......

The new trailer is heavy steel construction with a water tight top that is easy to remove.

 

......tamped down with my spiffy new tamping tool......

Miss Betty did a walk about on the new pathways, first one direction then the other, turned and wheeled herself back toward the house. I called to her and she politely turned and gave me a pleased look as if to say "well done .... carry on" and disappeared back into the house.



The look was all I needed
 

Landscaping For Dog's

Having a bit of sunshine this week and when the sun is hard to find for all the clouds we still seem to remain rain free. MeMa and I went to the Home and Garden show where she was quite taken by a large circular stone patio display. I am currently working on a new design for the central garden that overlooks the pond. MeMa asked if we couldn't fit in another patio away from the house that one could enjoy a nice outdoor fireplace, so dutifully I worked a circular blob into the my design. I was not keen on having another brick patio as is the first one I installed, Oregon is just too wet for brick and it turns dangerously slippery most of the time. So after talking to the nice young couple about their stone work I signed a contract with them to come and install (soon I hope) a ten foot "Umpqua paver circle". The pavers fit so tightly together that when I pressure wash in the spring there will be no mortar flying about as with the brick patio. This patio will be for enjoying sun as the old brick one is completely in the shade of our large wisteria. So it will be nice to have options as far as sitting areas as well. I plan on purchasing one of those large circular fire pits to go in the center so we can enjoy an occasional evening fire.

 

 I am currently digging up shrubs and clearing the garden of all the sod and installing crushed rock pathways that are lined on both sides with brick. No more pesky lawns to maintain for this gardener. When I lived in England I was employed at the Ardley Kennels and the owner once told me "one either has a beautiful lawn or one has dogs, but never the two shall be". I have gotten quite tired of trying to prove her wrong......we have dogs!

 



"Don't Touch Me Aspidistra"

When I was a teen living in England I worked at the Ardley Kennels near Bicester.  The owner, Mrs. Beril Kelland would have me in for tea.  While it was being prepared I would sit back and enjoy the beauty of her Victorian home.  The detailing of both house and furnishings amazed me,  and I remember thinking that some day I was going to live in something similar.  The Victorian era enthralled me and even at that young age I would go to antique shops in Oxford and make little purchases of items to go in my future home.  With a big love of flora in or out of doors I fell in love with all of Mrs. Kellands plant stands and one in particular held a very large and ancient Aspidistra in a beautiful Victorian planter passed down to her from a family member of that era.  I was just lightly touching the detail of the pot when she came into the room "Don't touch me Aspidistra" she called out in her shrill voice.  I jumped in surprise and she started to laugh telling me that was a quote from one of her favorite comedies on BBC and can't help screeching it when she gets the opportunity.  Comedy aside, I inquired if she knew anything about the Aspidistra.  "No, it is just one of those plants that never dies."  Truly the Aspidistra elatior is known as the Cast Iron plant for a reason, it can withstand all sorts of neglect, harsh temperatures, smoke, dust  and many other bad conditions.  Because of this ability to withstand those conditions it was very popular in Victorian homes.  Later that summer while on a family vacation in Spain, I spotted the perfect ceramic pot for an Aspidistra.  My mother told me it was too large as with two adults and four children space was a premium in the family car.  I pleaded with her and promised to carry it on my lap all the way back home to England, she gave me a rye smile of "Bet you can't do it", and I made the purchase.  Stubbornness prevailed and the pot remained on my lap the rest of the trip.



I have had this plant since 1971 when we settled here in Portland

The corner it sits in is almost devoid of natural light because of the heavy draperies just as in the Victorian homes,  and the brown tips on the leaves are due to neglectful watering.  Hey, "Do as the Victorians do....or did!"

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

My dear mother was a “Craft Queen” extraordinaire.  I grew up in a house filled with those pictures of vases done in shimmering beads or better yet painted seeds.  She frequently drove us all out of the house while heating her latest plastic flower craft creation in the oven.  She loved her creations and it showed because the house and the family cabin were filled with them.  So the other day when our long time bestest of the best friend Jan came to the house with a large paper Christmas wreath,  I did a double take and if she had not been so quick to enter I would have erected my craft free zone sign on the front door.  But alas, she was standing in the front room with lots of witnesses so I couldn’t very well have ejected her.  There was some dribble about some other friend who made it for her but when she saw that it was made of sheet music she just knew we would love it.  Jan is a minimalist of sorts, her house is clutter free and right out of “House Beautiful”.  There are empty drawers in every room! Unlike our motto of drawers are made to be filled.  I shall never have to purchase another dress shirt ever again as a steadfast rule of Jan’s is that when her husband Brian comes home with three new shirts, then three must vacate their place in his closet.  I have forty winter dress shirts and close to that amount in summer shirts.  But wait a minute here we were talking about that big hideous wreath stuffed full of sheet music that she just unloaded on us………

"Wait…..wait why are you taking down my peony painting (also given to us by Jan years ago)…..oh no you can’t really want that hung there????"

"…….hmm? Well yes that really looks quite nice there.  You know it looks as though it was made for that spot."

 

Thanks Jan, we love it…..got any more cool stuff?

Golden Leaves and Silver Trees

Besides watering in the greenhouse there is little time spent in the gardens.  The pond has been frozen for the last week which has sent the koi into hybernation mode, so nothing to do there except keeping the intakes on the pumps clear of leaves.  The last time I spent any great deal of time gardening was about three weeks ago and most of that was sweeping up the masses of leaves from the wisteria.  I was amazed by the intense color of my little dwarf ginkgo "Chi Chi" that sits at pond edge just under the wisteria arbor.  I quickly took a picture of it, the first since I planted it in 2008, as it usually drops its leaves when I think to get the camera.

I would fill my tub with leaves and carry them out to the compost barrel and on one of my trips I noticed a very unusual sight......

.......Raspberries in the last week of November?  I was told by MeMa that they were quite delicious as she sucked them down quicker than a hoover on a dust ball.  This week all that is gone, there are no more raspberies or golden ginkgo leaves.  Everything has a layer of ice on it, when I walk the ground gives a frozen crunch under my weight.  I don't last long outdoors, there is no joy in this frozen land.  Inside, MeMa has turned Menagerie Manor into a Christmas wonderland.  Furniture moved about to accommodate such things as the aluminum tree which needed to go in front of the windows because I was able to find the color wheel at an antique shop in perfect running order and in the original box.  When viewed from outdoors the silver tree slowly changes from green, yellow, blue and red -  a real treat from the 1950's.

 MeMa has a real skill for decorating this old house, me not so much but I follow direction if you get what I mean.  She asked if I would like to arrange the large collection of Santa's on the mantle, I looked at her with disbelief as I know MeMa has a penchant for order.

So while she set up the manger on the top of the old player piano I slowly started unpacking the many Santa's, keeping in mind height and material of each figure.  Last Santa figure placed, I stood back and gazed at my handy work........and so......after MeMa redecorated I poured us both a glass of wine and we sat and listened to Christmas piano rolls.

 Do you know what goes good with a glass of wine while listening to piano music????  

Fresh picked raspberries....or so I've heard!