Beginner Gardening: Southold Historical Society Garden Tour: July 9, 2005, 0 by pirl

pirl wrote:
What a fun way to wake up and read the latest posts! JD, for the second time today, you're a devil! Thanks for your mamasan comment.

The gardens have changed since I've been bitten seriously by the Japanese iris bug and now there are (currently) one huge JI garden and four smaller ones but I have the feeling that more are coming in the mail from a wonderful, fantastic, over-the-top trader so there'll be one more but I can't imagine where.

As for foibles - I continue on my Equilibrium path to gardening insanity with a smile, never knowing the next obstacle. I was about to plant something I've now forgotten (must be my 90 years showing, right?) and hit a gas line. I'm glad they put those big yellow "Do not dig" tapes above it and doubly glad I left it alone.

We just went through a kitchen renovation and had all Corian counters and full backsplashes installed. I had the granite from the kitchen moved to my potting bench, thinking it was a wise move. HOT in the summer sun - very HOT, but pretty. The top of the 9'9" copper trellis Jack made came down in a storm - it simply couldn't take the winds. I used that for my potting bench "window" and the clematis has now almost obscured it.

I probably shouldn't mention the wasp attack as I tried trimming a little branch to make more room for plants or the other wasp in my shorts as I wondered if I should strip or not, or the two wasps that drowned in the last cup of coffee (twice), or the way they constantly find me. I must be their official east coast playground where Zuzu has the title for the west coast.

I, too, had a stump but not like Lauren's. I decided to put a planter on top of the stump and while I was busy doing routine gardening the clematis over there took over and grew up and topped out at about 5' and then spread. Should be glorious next year. Being afraid it might blow over in another storm (you know how fearful we ancient people of the frozen tundra are, JD) I figured I'd anchor the planter into the stump so I found an old broom handle, about 3' long and got the small sledge hammer to do the job. The stump had already begun to decay internally but I was still surprised when one blow of the sledge hammer sent that broom handle down and I nearly crushed my right hand on the rim of the stump.

Marie: The Olsen hosta is thriving and I think of you each time I see it. Actually, what I could use to help me in the garden would be a team of Norwegian bachelor farmers but if the Royal Canadian Mounted Police still haven't shown up to make me chief cook for the sled dogs then I guess there's no hope and we'll have to do the work ourselves.

Thanks for all the nice comments, everyone!

P.S. Lauren, the official JD goose is still in residence along with a little yellow rabbit!