This morning was not a good morning in the garden. I worked hard at pulling out plants from two of the vegetable beds, followed by adding turkey compost and digging over the dry soil. Cutting flowers were growing in there but the stocks were finished and the larkspur were looking puny. Poor, infertile dry soil will do that. I'm trying to get cleaned up for an upcoming garden tour and nature is not helping me; spider mites, aphids and some nasty black shiny beetles leaving their mark on plant leaves. That on top of having taken another tumble at the weekend. I tripped and went headlong into one of the dry creeks landing once again on my right side. In frustration I came in the house and said I was giving up. At this point David made me promise never to have another garden tour and I agreed. Then I left for the day.
Of course I was back in the garden when I came home. I oiled the teak bench, stained the little table in the front courtyard and watered the foxgloves. Then I walked up to the top of the lot to see if the lace cactus were blooming. There on the flat meadow area I saw flowers I had never seen before. There must have been about 8, scattered across the area. It was very easy to identify the flowers as Celestials,
Nemastylis geminiflora. What a little beauty. A member of the iris family and growing along with blue-eyed grasses and blue bonnets the flowers are 2¼" across with thin grass-like leaves. I'm going to head up there tomorrow and mark their position. Then I will try to dig up a couple of the bulbs and plant them in the rock garden. I guess I'm not giving up gardening, this week, after all.
Sorry to hear you had such a frustrating week! I'm glad nature gave you some pretty flowers to make up for some of it...good luck preparing for your tour!
ReplyDeleteWhile we've all had days like that yours sounds to have been extra tough. Here's hoping there are more garden surprises (of the good kind) to keep you going.
ReplyDeleteI'm so very very glad to hear you will continue gardening. At times, it can be so very frustrating and one wonders if it's worth it anymore. But the garden is always full of surprises and joys
ReplyDeleteI wonder if perhaps you might consider hiring a local kid to help once in awhile with the prep for garden tours.
When I was young, I would have LOVED to have the opportunity to help (and subsequently LEARN! ) from someone so obviously skilled at it.
Hope you didn't get hurt badly
Best of luck with your tour
Sorry to hear about your fall! Might have been worse though: could have landed on a favorite plant (or a cactus)! A few years back my bootlace somehow got caught on one of my wheelbarrow handles when I was stepping around/over and not only did it trip me but I pulled the wheelbarrow over on myself. Must have been hilarious to see. Glad to hear that you're still finding good surprises too, as that's what it's all about!
ReplyDeleteWe found many Celestials blooming in north San Antonio for the first time, last spring!
ReplyDeleteThey were such a find! Several of us were hiking in an undeveloped area between two congested residential developments. Our naturalist friend told us there were so many beautiful native plant species to be found hidden in this slice of natural area. So, he took us on a plant walk and Celestial was one of our surprise finds! They only last a day, so look quickly!
Sorry to hear about your fall and your bad week. The garden should bring you joy, so if giving tours stresses you out, maybe you should stop. I hope that doesn't include having us Austin folks over though :) I just saw one of the Celestials blooming in my neighbors yard this week, and wondered what it was. They are absolutely beautiful. Now that I know what they are, I'll have to find some. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely flower! I hope you succeed in getting it to grow in your rock garden. The garden has stealthy ways of sending a siren's call to bring you back.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear you're not giving up. You create too much beauty to ever stop, I hope. I know my life has been enriched for knowing you and your garden!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Pam. But, I do know how it is to fall. Not so fun.
ReplyDeleteThen all the other frustrating parts of gardening. Does sometime make you want to throw in the towel.
Maybe those extra tours should be a thing of the past. I know everyone wants to see your amazing garden. But, it must get a bit much.
Be careful. We need you.
What gorgeous flowers! Hope you okay after your fall! That definitely sounds like such a frustrating day. So glad nature gave you a 'sorry' bouquet.
ReplyDeleteDr. Hortus would recommend some hair of the dog that bit you in regards to your fall.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling better, and that the tour goes/went well.