The Petunias & the Milkweed

I was told hummingbirds like red petunias.

This year, the petunias are redder than red.

It is good to see something going well for something else. 

I might have seen a hummingbird this year wiz by. As yet, none have been seen by me at the petunias. I expect there will be more butterflies this year with more flowers blooming.

I am glad to report the milkweed plants I nearly flattened last week when I fell are all doing well, even the one that had a small break. 

To protect them on a very windy night, I was pushing a small section of wire garden fencing in the ground to protect them. The wire hit stone and bent. I saw a mass of green ferns coming at my face. Not going that way!

Instead, I rolled over to the side onto the sidewalk. I got up real fast. 

The funny part is that next door there were EMTs chatting at a stretcher on the porch. The hydrangeas are so high they probably wouldn’t see the blur of an old lady rolling out of the ferns, it happened that quick. Makes me laugh when I think about. It felt like a comedy skit. 

Rolled from upper right to sidewalk on left

The knee that hit the concrete has a spot of discomfort, shooting pain sometimes, no broken skin. I didn’t see the bruise until this morning, right on that spot. Weird it would take days to show up. 

Anyway, lesson learned to not put one’s weight on a flimsy wire fence. Use arm muscles not body weight. 

Farewell July 2023

 July 2023 has been a month of oh no not again rainy weather. A lovely four weeks in many ways, the soggy humid days bring adjust to it skill to the forefront. 

Can we mind it when we are blessed with being here to participate, witness Nature, flora and fauna readily moving to the rhythm of life? Sure we can! Humans are the best at being grumpy more than any other species, even cats. The excessive rainfalls that result in flooding gives us cause to reach peak grumpy.

August, I am praying is summery, more outdoors weather than inside playing cards or watching reels. I plan to revel in those 31 days like it is 1964 (except it won't be at the New Jersey sh0re)!

Petunias, Exercise & Excursions

 A petunia stem broke off. I stuck the little flower in an empty container of dirt and forgot about it.

A few days later, the flower is still blooming. It has continued to flower one after another for almost 3 weeks. I didn't know petunias will root and grow like that.

Today is half a day of summer. Half a day of thunderstorms with rain. I keep reminding myself there isn't a drought. (Ooo, that was loud!)

After week one on the exercise bike, I ache without ibuprofen. I'll adjust the handle bars lower in the hopes the muscle pain decreases. I'm also going to every other day with a stretching routine in between.

On the down slope of peak summer, my hopes are on August being wonderful. 

Petunias & Torenia

My tiny garden has a huge planter next to it acting as a nursery for plants that will go in the ground elsewhere. As it turns out, the  plants that are there look too nice to move.

Torenia flowers fit well under the petunias still in the plastic planter.

The small purple petunias are the type with white patches, In the shade the white grow better. In the sun, the flowers are all purple.

Next week is my excursion time,  a simple walk downtown to a Vermont state park for a picnic lunch and plein air painting. Matching it with a home project, the dinning table sanding will be next week as well. It will be a challenge to get outdoors, but outdoors I must go. Wherever anxiety is the lowest will determine the destination.

How are your summer excursions going? 

The Flower Planters & Pal 2023

Petunias are happy this year.

Not sure if this is sage or catnip 

Round 2 foot shape in clumps.

In the ground, not a planter.

Anyone recognize it?

These two photos (above, below) are the same planter taken at different angles.

A larger view of the unknown plant, lots of spikes with numerous flowers, long bloomer.

The other planter isn't as fast to bloom. It has longer shade and open exposure to deal with. The lobelia are the only plant in there producing well so far.

Relish Thoughts

Not relish, but a good looking petunia. My apologies for the red pepper relish post delay.

I have shopped twice for the relish made from scratch without a recipe. Not one red pepper has yet to be chopped. I even bought containers to store it in. I only plan a small amount for a few days. I believe today I finally have everything I need.  

A learning lesson is to have ingredients before deciding to get into a recipe from scratch.

Four or five days red pepper relish has been in my thoughts. If I bought a jar, then I might have an idea for what I want to use for ingredients. 

Anywayz...

I saw the Strawberry Moon last night, gorgeous. The night of the full version was overcast here.

I posted a poem today on:

Hasopen Road Poetry

This summer I will be posting regularly there or a new titled poetry blog. Trying out a new direction in how I write poetry and prose is good for me because it will stretch my creativity. I want something special to show for my 75th summer. 

Fourteen years having a poetry blog is a long time. There have been long slumps, sadness, grumpy pouting episodes, but I haven't given up. My 7th grade teacher gave me As on two of my poems with  very encouraging comments. The joy I felt was amazing. I still have the original copy. 😎

Torenia
part sun or shade , 8"-10" tall