New Roses

I just barely have room for two more roses in my garden; heirloom roses of course, because I have very little use for modern roses.  They aren’t cold hardy, they get diseases, they too often sacrifice “perfect” shape for scent.  I’d rather have a true old-fashioned rose shape, and a scent that can fill a garden, than a rose version of an anorexic blond supermodel. 

So this year I scoured the internet (and I mean scoured – no one seems to sell this rose!) until I found a nursery that sells “Leda”.  She’s a damask rose, originating in England around 1827,  and here’s what my rose book says:

“At first the buds are a deep black-red, but they open to full white flowers whose individual petals are delicately caressed with a filigree of fire red, giving the blooms a hand-painted look.”  (Taken from ’100 Old Roses for the American Garden’, by Clair G. Martin)

My second rose is one called “Mme Zoetman’s”.  I needed more white roses in my garden (I’ve only got one “Wild Spice”), so I was on the lookout for an old-fashioned white.  The internet says:

“A Damask rose from 1830. Scented like sandalwood, this rose inspires like the loveliest, most desirable layered-up, creamy, silk organza (hue of the flower is described above) with buds that appear modeled at the tips of young, tightly held petals in antique aubergine covered mostly in cream. The newest, just opening, buds are almost lime green.”

Oh, yes.  Now that’s a rose!

Why I Love Late July

Freshly picked green beans, grown in my own garden, about to be cooked with bacon.

Most are Blue Lake, but the purple ones are a mystery heritage bean that are just starting to produce.  Too bad they don’t stay that pretty; they turn green as they cook.  Oh, and there’s some Scarlet Emperor Runner beans in there too.  They taste good (despite having fuzzy skins like peaches which need to shave), but the real reason I grow them is because of how pretty they look entwined on the trellis.  Other beans have little barely visible white flowers; runner beans have gorgeous bright red blossoms.

Rose

Went out in the garden this afternoon and discovered this rose:

My Garden in Early May

Spent a good share of yesterday out working in the garden.  Why do I even use the word ‘work’?  If it were work I wouldn’t do it.  It’s fun.  It’s delightful. It’s loverly.  Even killing slugs is better than not being out in the garden killing slugs…

So here’s a tour of my garden (minus the slugs):

Above is a view from my back door, including my dog Jacks.  (She’s trying to look nonchalant, as if she isn’t thinking about eating earthworms and black beetles.)  The white arches are brand-new, and yet to be filled with climbers.

Camera slightly rotated.  The square white arch leads into our “circle garden”, which a little later in the season will be overwhelmed with purple clematis and apricot-colored roses.

The barrel is where my cat, Poo, sleeps on hot afternoons.  The old ladder doubles as a trellis.  I think I’ll grow beans up it this year.  To the left, is my white bleeding heart, and just behind it, my pink bleeding heart (see below pic).

One of my many garden paths. The wire fence to the left is where we eventually will house our chickens.

Above is the “rose garden”.  It’s packed with roses, foxglove, and peonies a little later.  Right now the violas are in bloom underneath the bench!

The “circle garden”, looking from the back of our yard toward our house.  It’s not fully planted in yet.

Above is the “herb garden” in front, and further back, under the little honeysuckle tree, is the “woodland garden”.  The window you see on the right, is actually my studio window.  While I costume or sculpt dolls, I can watch the hummingbirds and squirrels.  The herb garden is looking a little sorry this time of year, since I just cut all the old growth down.

One of my woodland flowers, the white anemone.  Love these guys!  They spread every year and the slugs don’t touch them.

The pathway under my studio window, wild strawberries to the left, potting bench straight ahead.  Lots of bare dirt this time of year.  That’s an excuse to go to the Nursery tomorrow!

Dirt Under My Fingernails

I’m so happy, there was dirt under my fingernails today for the first time this year!

It was sunny, and I didn’t have to work this morning, so I took a stroll out in the garden and discovered this:

So then, of course, I had to get down on my knees and dig for a bit.  I love the feel of dirt on my hands – people keep buying me gloves for gifts (and I actually have bought a pair myself, pink ones!) but I never seem to want to wear them.  There’s just something about touching the soil and rumaging about in it barehanded that makes me happy.

Spring is finally coming!

Plus, I found out yesterday that my Renaissance Faire is happening this year.  Last year it was canceled due to the supreme ignorance and stupidity of a few local Commissioners, but this year we’re back, and we’re going to be bigger than ever.

www.washingtonrenfaire.com

Obama’s Buying My Chicken Coop

It comes as little surprise to me that, precisely as I predicted, Obama’s reaction to our crashing economy is to add another trillion+ in national debt by giving us another “stimulus package”.  In fact, so eager is he to further sink our economy that he can’t even wait until he’s sworn in.  How any sane person can believe these packages are a good idea is beyond me.  It’s like giving a drowning person a brick – it gives him something to hold onto, but it sends him to the bottom that much faster.  Click on the link below for real, genuine ideas to save the economy:

http://www.dailypaul.com/node/29524

But until we get a president with a clue, I’ll take my check, and I’ll let Obama buy me a chicken coop.  We’re designing it right now, and planning the breeds of chickens to buy through www.mypetchicken.com Besides the standard-sized egglayers, we’re getting a few Silkie Bantams.  These chickens are an amazingly bizarre breed with a history – they were brought over from China by Marco Polo.

And they are so cute.  I think they look like miniature gryphons.

Real eggs, as opposed to those sickly and tasteless store-bought imitations, bug and slug control, free manure for my garden, and affectionate new pets that love to lap-sit and snuggle – you can’t deny that chickens are awesome.

So good luck to you, Mr. Obama.  Thanks for the hen house, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens once everyone realizes you’re already begun breaking your campaign promises, before you’re even in office.  That has to be some kind of record.

Change.  Remember that word, Mr. Obama?  Change means doing something different, not just to just keeping repeating the previous administration’s mistakes.  At least in my back yard, though, the results of your “stimulus” will be crap that’s actually beneficial to my garden.

Snow and Snow Ice Cream

I was snowed in today and didn’t have to go to work!

Here’s a couple pictures taken in my garden:

And here’s two taken on my street:

But the best thing about snow days (other than not having to work!) is making real snow ice cream.

Snow Ice Cream

2 eggs, well beaten

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

1 cup sugar (or 3/4 cup honey)

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

bucket of fresh, clean snow

In a 2 quart bowl, mix beaten eggs, milk and cream. Blend in sugar, mixing well. Add vanilla and salt. Put into a gallon container and gradually add snow, mixing well, until of desired consistency. Serve immediately (melts fast!) or freeze. Makes about a gallon.