Well, we managed to make it through the first week of school with very few tears shed, and none of those by the kids :) Thankfully the kids have great teachers and love going to school - in fact, I don't think my oldest would ever come home from kindergarten if given the choice!
The weather has finally gotten cooler, and the slight nip in the morning air makes it impossible to stay inside. I have held off planting anything all summer with the heat and the voles, but no more! It's finally time to plant the collection of plants that has been accumulating on the patio!
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| I finally planted this young 'Santana' Butterfly bush that I had started from a cutting last year. |
And I just couldn't resist adding to said collection during the recent open house over at Plant Delights Nursery this past weekend...
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| Kosteletzkya virginica 'ACE Basin' (Sea Shore Mallow) |
With the beautiful weather I have been out gardening, so of course the housework is back to being on the back burner. I rationalize my messy house away by telling myself that I'm pretty sure when I'm on my deathbed I won't be saying that my only regret was not keeping the house more tidy. (Well, unless I am there on my deathbed due to tripping on yet another toy and injuring myself, anyway...)
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| A vole-proof purchase: Pycnanthemum loomisii Campbell Co. TN, otherwise known as Loomis' Mountain Mint. This type of Mountain Mint is supposed to be better behaved than others. |
I am one of those people who walk around with their head in the clouds, so I do tend to miss things on the floor and trip and fall. A lot. But I'm pretty sure tripping and falling won't injure much except my beauty - for believe it or not, my nose always somehow gets the brunt of things.
My nose is not even especially large or anything, just a magnet for clumsiness. I used to have a perfectly straight nose, once upon a time. Not so much any more..
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| I fell in love with this Chasmanthium latifolium 'River Mist' (Variegated Northern Sea Oats). |
The most memorable time that I hurt my nose was when I broke it a week before my wedding. And guess how I broke it? By jamming my thumb in a door. Yes, people, I am probably the only person who can manage getting a broken nose from a hurt thumb.
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| Another one to plant: Spigelia marilandica, known as Indian pink or Woodland pinkroot |
How it happened? Well, I was going into the office of my apartment complex (in the days before the Red House or any house at all) to collect a package. I jammed my thumb on the door going in, making me light-headed. I made it a few steps into the office and then passed out, hitting my nose on a chair as I went down. In all the photos from my bridal shower, I sported a lovely set of raccoon eyes.
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| Not an exact likeness.. photo source - Wikipedia |
Anyways, forgive my rambling mood (it's fall fever, I tell you!) Back to gardening, I shall leave you with a little video that I took this morning that explains why some of those plants in those clearance sections look so sad and scraggly..
Love the Indian pink, and the bunny is cute. I guess cuteness take you only that far, when it comes to garden! LOL! Careful now - do not trip with the camera. Had few myself, usually more angry because I am embarrassed, and whatever caused it get a death look! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI fell in love with that Indian pink when I first saw it as well! So far I haven't tripped and hurt the camera yet (knocking on wood!) My poor computer has taken a few bumps, though. Thankfully it's pretty sturdy!
DeleteI love the variegated Northern Sea Oats and Indian Pink...Oh my, that rabbit is huge. It looks much bigger than the little ones I see running around my garden and they do a lot of damage. Great capture of it in action! They are so cute but...
ReplyDeleteIt looks bigger in video for some reason, maybe because I was right next to it. I thought it was a rather young rabbit. (Or maybe the ones I see in my garden are just that much bigger and fatter compared to the one I saw in the store!)
DeleteOh what a lovely rabbit in your garden, I first thought it to be a hare because it's rather a big one. But if you want to keep your plants going, you have to take measurements.
ReplyDeleteThis one was at the store, thankfully. I have a fence around my backyard and keep all the non-bunny proof plants there. I've had to plug up quite a few little holes dug under the fence though :) They love my hostas.
DeleteLoved your nose-fall story, though I'm sure you weren't laughing at the time. My granddaughter fell face first on her nose just yesterday - she could have prevented her nose from taking the brunt of the fall, but she refused to let go of the baby doll she was holding! Such a good mom already! ;)
ReplyDeleteAw, what a good little mommy! It is so cute to see little girls with their dolls!
DeleteIndie - Having eaten dirt by falling face down in it a few times, I sympathize with your tale of nose woes. Loved the bunny clip at the garden shop.
ReplyDeleteAt least I don't break anything too important, right? I was amazed that that bunny let me come so close to it - it must have been hungry!
DeleteIndie, I should be in bed an hour or three ago, and here I am giggling (though I feel your pain) over this post. Take it from me, a woman who found the very last patch of ice in WI one night and broke a wrist; I know what it's like. And explaining to the ER docs what I did was a hoot, too. I don't think they believed me. And no, alcohol was not a factor.
ReplyDeleteOuch, having a sore nose must be awful. But I remember dancing the fandango whenever I stepped into a pile of Legos or marbles. Housecleaning is such a waste of time, lol.
That variegated sea oats is stunning; all of your new plants are wonderful.
Back to school already, where did the summer go? I remember how quiet the house was back then; I actually looked forward to hearing the school bus in the afternoon!
Sometimes I do wonder why I clean something when it's going to be a mess again in a very short amount of time! I think my kids have radars that hone in on clean spaces and a little 'destroy' alarm goes off in their head..
DeleteI only have three quiet mornings a week, which is actually quite nice. I don't know what I'll do when both of them are in school all day, though!
Thanks for the chuckles this morning, Indie:) As a total klutz myself, I can sympathize with your injured nose story, but I'm glad you were able to cover up the black eyes for your wedding!
ReplyDeleteOoh, I'm so envious that you live close enough to Plant Delights to shop there! Indian Pink is on my wish list already for next year.
Many years ago I cut out a quote from a newspaper column and taped it near my bed to look at every day. I don't know who wrote it--Erma Bombeck or Joyce Maynard maybe--but the gist of it was that when children got older and remember the happy times of their childhood, a clean house wouldn't even make the list. Wise words to live by...and always my justification for making housework a low priority:)
I'm glad I'm not the only klutz, though I feel for you :) The Indian Pink wasn't on my list of plants to get when I went to Plant Delights, but as soon as I saw it I fell in love with it!
DeleteI wonder if that quote is one that my grandmother has taped to her fridge. Wise words indeed!
Welcome to the falling down club. I fell down not once but twice at my Grad ceremony, in front of everyone....
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear about the cooler weather.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Oh, no! That might be even worse. (At least I didn't fall and break my nose AT the wedding!)
DeleteWell I adore the variegated sea oats and Indian pink too...but that bunny is just adorable
ReplyDeleteI was amazed it let me get so close to it. It looked rather young - and definitely hungry!
DeleteDang bunnies! That was like watching them in my backyard--I don't have a fence around it like you do. The rabbits are so obnoxious. But so cute. Grrrr. I'm with you--I won't regret not spending more time cleaning the house. But I would regret not spending enough time in the garden. Fun post! I'll bet your nose is still pretty.
ReplyDeleteThanks! My bunnies like to squeeze under the fence and nibble on my hostas, so I have to block all the cracks with rocks. Just the other day I found rabbit footprints in the mud right in front of the gate - obviously searching for a way in!
DeleteI usually stub my toes when my head is in the clouds. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. Erma Bombeck once wrote that she had wished she had spent less time cleaning and more time enjoying life. You've already learned that lesson. :)
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a lot of us gardeners have similar views :) Right now my poor neglected house is actually getting to that point where I'm going to need to take a day to clean it. But oh, how the outdoors is calling!
DeleteI'm longing to go outside and do some spring planting, but I've been stuck inside with raging tonsilitis all week. Your post made me want to get into the garden even more!
ReplyDeleteOh no! I hope you feel better soon! What bad timing too, with spring there.
DeleteHappy Autumn. You brought a smile to my face this morning. I'm one who trips over things that aren't there or very small things that are. My husband has learned to keep a hand on me when we go out so I don't end up flat on my face, lol.
ReplyDeleteI'd probably knock my husband over if I fell next to him - we are both a little clumsy :) At least there seem to be a lot of people here in the same clumsy boat! Happy Autumn to you, too. I'm so glad it has started to arrive!
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