Pages

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Nose to the Grindstone

Today was one of those gotta-stay-focused kind of days.

I started out with ebay, as I have been doing this year. It's become a habit, and it's proved profitable. This morning I needed to pack 7 packages: a vintage cloche hat, glass plates, a Merry Mushrooms canister, a vintage sheet set, English chintz mugs, a vintage Santa salt & pepper set, and a set of 4 Fry Oven Glass custard dishes. Nothing like variety.

After breakfast we went out to spread what we hoped were the last 10 bags of mulch. I know mulch is cheaper by the truckload, but for us it is easier to spread with the bags. The last flowerbed looks great now--but not quite finished. Another 4 bags should do it. I love this garden--it was the last flowerbed I made and each year it gets better. This year I am excited to see that the Red Hot Poker plants I put in last year made it through the winter, and so did the Coreopsis. The deer pretty much mowed te bed last fall so I wondered what survived. I've added several lavender plants this year, hoping that they might like this spot. I've had a terrible time with lavender for the past few years, and have no plants left now from previous plantings. It's just sad.

Wildflowers on Joe's Run. Wildflowers are on my mind as I prepare my upcoming presentation.

After garden work it was back inside and on the computer to work on my Saturday nature folklore presentation. I am so excited about this one--it's new for me, and I am working hard to pull together what I already know and add to the mix. I've been learning many new things--like did you know that eating mayapple fruit can cause some people to have technicolor diarrhea? And that one name for mullein plant is Hag Taper, because people thought witches would dip the long, stiff stems into tallow and use them as torches? Or that there's a game called Fight Rooser that can be played with violet flowers? Such a fascinating topic, and I know I am only scratching the surface.

I made one last dash outside to plant beans before a sudden rain blew up. Now I am catching up a little on my housework, and writing this blog. I do believe I am heading for an early bedtime too.


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

5 comments:

  1. Another productive day, Sue! Im gonna start writing my day's activities down. I did this and that and mudded in onion sets before the next tsin . . . but I'm pretty sure I only accomplish 1/4 what you do!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I saw the first tiny shoots of my threadleaf coreopsis yesterday. And there's a miniature forest of feathery tansy. always thrilling to see the perennials returning :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. All that wrapping sounds like the worst part about the lead-up to Christmas, but going on all year! Most lavender grows well from cuttings so it's worth growing some in pots as reserves which you can then plant out if the main plants fail. I have a wonderful book called "Flora Britannica" which sounds like a scientific tome but is nothing of the kind. It collects together folklore and stories about our British plants that has been collected from all corners of our island.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It is the worst part of selling, John, but worth the trouble for the extra income it provides. It pays for my travel, and I can work from home, in my pajamas if I want :) If only I was knowledgeable about vntage clothing, so much easier to pack! Or postcards or...well, it is what it is, and I love the hunt and the research.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It sometimes helps me to feel productive if I write down the things I accomplish, Nance. Otherwise it all melds into a blur. Some days really are great, others just plain grunge work.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Comments are moderated so may not appear immediately, but be assured that I read and enjoy each and every word you write, and will post them as quickly as possible.