I can't imagine rolling my sleeves up. lol Let's say it will be a gentle encouragement, but persistent. The last few days, winter winds follow us down South. Now the foliages begin to change while Clematis in sunny gardens are still in full blooms. Now, it couldn't possibly get any better than that!
This has been a sweet surprise! I never knew so many people would care!
We're fine, really. We only lost power for 18 hours and the phone for a few days but being blonde I thought there was a cable issue when I couldn't get online but it ended up my computer died so we bought a new laptop (first for me) today but they have to set it up and that takes 5 hours! Sounds like much too long to me. Anyhow, we'll pick it up tomorrow.
Our neighbors across the street, on the water, had flooded yards and basements but the water never even came within 100' of the street so we had no worries at all.
Thank you all for your concern! I'm very touched.
Kim, I mailed the package to let you know we survived the storm! Now we have a new one arriving tomorrow.
PLEASE VOTE! We did and the place was packed like we've never seen it before!
I'm so happy you're back! So glad to hear everything was okay there Arlene. Welcome back.
Kim, I mailed the package ....
So glad you're okay, Pirl!!!
Glad to hear you to had a good outcome, Arlene! My stepdaughter & husband from Commack are still without power, holed up in a hotel....
I am glad you are OK Pirl, I have been watching the map of the workers on LI, and seen that they are moving your way, but just to think about you maybe not having any heat in the house made me feel guilty sitting in a toasty place. I have voted too, made shure of that early this morning. Love to all of you. Etelka
To my picture add"and it will get better"
So glad to hear you weathered the storm ok Arlene. We did miss hearing you chime in and help with your ideas and knowledge.
Robin
Sending prayers to your stepdaughter and husband. Let us know when they are back home.
Carolyn
Arlene, Welcome back, You know you are a driving force for us and we all care very much for you and yours. Where would we be without you? As you can see from the many posts, very lost and concerned, .
So glad you are ok.
Marie
Arlene....so glad you didn't have much in the way of flooding, etc. I sure was imaging the worst after seeing pictures of that area. AND, a new laptop? I'm sooo jealous = ) Hunker down for this next one....so sad to see it on the heels of Sandy....kim
Robin.....sending good thoughts your family's way.....do let us know....kim
Yeah, so glad you are fine pirl!!!
My stepdaughter & her husband got power back yesterday & they were home by afternoon.....now this mess of a nor'easter....we are getting heavy snow, forecast of 3-5 inches, with a change to freezing rain tonight....
Pirlie!!!! I've been haunting this forum, waiting for you to post. So glad you're okay!
Glad to hear the good news, Marilyn. This weather has been frightful. Hope your snow is gone soon with the higher temperatures I heard on the weather report. Hard to believe right now that we'll have sunshine and 60 for the weekend.
Thank you all for your sweet words. You should have seen me in action yesterday. "Pruning" the clematises (just 5 of them) was more like an attack on the poor things as it kept getting colder and my hands were freezing with two pair of gloves. I got two others done earlier and they were nice and easy. Looks like I will have to rethink the area where I have the five and just leave Jackmanii there. It was too much of a jungle.
Thanks, Zuzu! If the laptop would just allow me the privilege of sending Emails I'd have contacted you.
Glad to know they are all safe Robin. I am hoping this nor'easter doesn't turn into much.
All news reporting and weather reports say many more trees will come down in the compromised very wet soil. Let us pray it does not happen.
Ended up with 8", but the power stayed on....
Wow--8"; that's a TON isn't it......! Glad you have power though.....and hope it stays! kim
I'm with Kimmy and hope your power stays on, Marilyn. That was heavy, wet snow! We drove though it for the entire one mile drive home after I dropped off the new laptop at the computer guy's home so he could get the photos from my old computer on the new one. One mile was more than enough!
We need a month or two of decent weather to make up for this horrible time.
Guess I didn't mention how sick I am of cleaning! Having so many more hours in the day since I haven't had the computer that my radiators are spotless and have been bleached twice to keep them that way. That will last until I learn how to use the laptop.
Lamps and lightswitches are also sterile now, all wash is up to the minute as is all vacuuming: BORING!
Oh, how I hate housework! Yes, there's a lot of snow out here, but it's not too heavy because the temps were low enough to keep it light....I guess that's why I had power, unlike last year's Halloween storm....I was out 8 days, and lost both my crabapple trees, most of my maple, and the tops of many, many others.....
I am not a fan of housework either - I would just as soon hire out certain jobs. Unfortunately I don't see that happening anytime soon.
I am so glad you are all ok. I am dreading the days of snow here. We typically get our share.
I already miss the garden. I plan on doing somethings outside today. I need to cut back my peonies and put away my peony hoops. I pretty much leave the rest until early March when I really get the bug.
This has been the summer where I was not able to spend much time out in the garden. I missed the garden and I missed sitting out on my back deck with my morning coffee in my hand. There is something about feeling the heat of the deckboards under my feet that I just love.
Very pretty clem photos, Carolyn!
The bleach is back where it belongs and the glass cleaner is no longer on display. The vacuum has been put away and I intend to spend hours here on the laptop even if I fall asleep. I thought I'd expire with all the cleaning fumes.
The glorious part of cleaning after the storm was cleaning the rear 9 kitchen windows that had been plastered with tiny bits of leaves. I used the flat kitchen "mop" (it isn't a mop but I can't think of the name of it) and used that, dipped into warm water and a few drops of bleach with some Dawn detergent, and the windows sparkled when I finished. I do like cleaning those windows but now all hoses have been put away so next spring I guess I'll clean the other 25.
I do miss the nice parts of summer but not the awful heat waves we had when I and others were prisoners of our homes.
Now I'm transforming the former vegetable garden into "The Park" since Jack no longer wants to raise vegetables and fight the crows who destroyed the tomato crop, the fantastic soil that produced many more cucumbers than we could believe, the heat that destroyed the peas and beans, etc. It's too much angst for him. I weeded the entire area and began planting - so far, so good. I'll get back in there tomorrow to see what else I can add. It's great fun!
This is what I started with and I do have follow-up photos but can't find out how to post them yet.
Pirl--I too had been checking this forum regarding your welfare. Glad that you are okay, except for being overcome by the need to clean. I need to start on windows too. As the old saying goes, "as soon as I get a round tuit".
I had the best surprise today. The Nellie Moser that I ordered from Brushwood and planted on October 15th has a bud on it. Hope it manages to bloom before it gets too cold. We never had a hard freeze last winter (28* was the lowest temp)) but there's no guarantee for another year.
Enjoy the new laptop!!
Thanks! I've had clematis Henryii blooming in the snow so don't give up hope. Wind would likely do more damage than the cold. They are amazing plants.
The urge to clean is now history, most thankfully. It made me feel too much like an OC person though in the garden I probably am OC but I can accept that!
Funny you say that Arlene - I am probably more OCD about that garden than the house as well. Something about digging in the dirt and tying up lose clem vines or staking dahlias that makes me feel so good, whereas house cleaning and such just makes me sore and tired. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to live in a sty either, but I get more satisfaction from the gardening chores than some of the other chores.
I have a few clematis that I need to heel in this fall - I will be doing that this weekend. My gardening chores are starting to wind down.... :(
Pirl, what are you going to plant in the old veggie garden?
Carolyn - same here. I want every weed out of the garden and a speck of dirt on the kitchen floor can actually be picked up by either sex but it usually doesn't work out that way. Same with the soap dish. Is there any reason, other than stuck on soap, to have to clean a soap dish? How does the dirt get on the soap and get left there? Is there an equal to Mr. Clean that's Mr. Dirty? Once you clean the house it begins to get dirty immediately while garden weeds at least have the courtesy of waiting two or three days to grow again. That makes it sound like Jack is a slob and he isn't but Smitty doesn't wash his paws in the sink so the possibilities are very limited.
Marilyn - it's about half planted now and in spring I'll add dahlias, caladium and coleus. So far I have Limelight hydrangea and two other hydrangeas, a ton of Louisiana irises, two roses, two clematises (both Venosa Violacea) and many Coral Charm peonies, hoping they'll match (and not conflict with) the climbing Royal Sunset rose that will grow on the top of the garden gate. A friend who is moving to Michigan asked me to take her Paperbark maple that I've admired since she bought it. The new owners do not garden at all so it's my honor to accept the gift but now have to get a local guy to do the digging of it (and replanting) for us.
Here's the combo with the large peony photo by Trilian (DG) and the two others by DG's Kell. There will be the two clem's adorning the rose, I hope. The next photo shows the color of the clem's with the roses (photos of the roses by Kell, again).
Here's the garden gate. I'm glad the lilies you can see from outside The Park match the climbing rose! That's good fortune!
Arlene
So gorgeous - I can almost smell the peonies, roses and lilies. There is nothing that smells so good as freshly opened flowers or fresh fruit. I love the colors you have chosen - what color clematis will you put in?
Thanks, Carolyn. It will be the Venosa Violacea (already planted) that is show in the second collage above.
Now I'm heading out to garden and cut back more clematises.
Ohh, love the color combos of the roses and clems Arlene! I have a climbing rose Autumn Sunset planted with C. Ashva and was enchanted with the combo all summer, happy when something works out as pictured!
This is another combo, a soft yellow David Austin rose 'Graham Thomas' with C. Ramona
Oh and you'll love Royal Sunset, this is my in-laws rose with an unknown purple clem. (can't find it on my computer right now)
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/282801/
Love your photos, Sue! You know the problems I have with deer eating my roses so I was thrilled to find the two roses on sale no less! To have the new garden to keep them safe from the deer is a blessing. Still, I'll never be a Zuzu or a Sue of the east coast.
The soft coral/peach/salmon goes so beautifully with purple clem's. Love your Graham Thomas, as well. I've had that rose for many years but paired it with Lemon Chiffon clematis since I had Jackmanii nearby. Now, if I could just get Lemon Chiffon to grow half as well as KimmyCoCoPop I'd be thrilled.
Your mother-in-law's rose is spectacular. Do you have any idea how old it is? At what age should I expect it to begin to climb? I've already saved your MIL's rose to Picasa.
Those color combos are awesome! I planted peony Coral Charm 2 years ago, hoping for blooms this year....I've decided I need a few more roses......
Depending on space and inspiration I just may add a few more roses as well. The scented ones always win the race for me.
No idea how old her rose is, I will ask her next time I talk to her. I still have mine in a 5 gal. pot, I have several potted climbers I still need to decide on locations.
