Still Life

Peonies

The peonies are now officially in bloom here. The big gorgeous blooms and the fragrant aroma beg to be cut and brought in the home. I obliged.

Psssttt.........come closer.

................closer............

...........a little closer............

 .........oh how I wish you could smell them. 

Heavenly.


In other garden news, we have a garter snake living on the west side of The Bates Estate. I've dubbed it Henry/Henrietta since I don't know if it's male or female. I'm thinking female since I also saw a baby in the grass the other day. Today H/H was in the flower garden. Not terribly happy I was following close with a camera trying to get a shot.

Honestly though, there is no need to stick your tongue out at me! Cheeky snake.

It's another beautiful day here today. We are taking them as they come. Feels like the humidity is ramping up.  I'm working on the pool, but we still have more de-leafing and filtration to do. I am hoping by the weekend I'll be able to take the inaugural dip of the season. 

Did anyone catch the USA v Ghana World Cup Match last night? Well, let's put it this way.......my man Clint Dempsey came through with a goal 30 seconds in. It was a great match. Ghana is a tough team that came back to tie in the second half as we were nearing the end. Ugh. Luckily, our man Brooks came of the bench to score - the first USA goal by a replacement in World Cup history. Way to go Brooksie. Nice header! We held on to win so we were quite happy with  that result. And that has been your Tuesday World Cup update. Thanks for tuning in.

Lots of design work on the desk today. Mostly logo revisions and some ad design.  What's happening in your corner of the world?

Ciao for now,

A Glimpse Of The Garden

In The Beginning

We still have just a few seeds left to plant. Once we get out second 'teepee' set up, some peas will be planted at the bottom. Also, I have more arugula and I think I have some more beans. There is still a corner of the garden that these can fill so we can get as much as we can come harvest time.

I also have more mulching to do with cardboard and leaves. G is supposed to pick up some more big sheets of cardboard on the way home tonight, which makes my cutting and laying job much easier than when I'm just using bits and pieces of cardboard.

Things are sprouting already and I promised you some before shots, so here they are.

An overview.  See where all the leaves are? There is cardboard under those leaves, all in an effort to keep the weeds down. It will eventually at the end of the season, compost into the garden. For now, leaves and cardboard are my best friends.  Now look closer.......see the green coming up among the leaves? That's my rows of veg seeds starting to pop.  Once they get a bit bigger, it will be more obvious, like the row next to the cardboard.  I had to leave a couple of rows undone, just to be sure I didn't place the cardboard over the seeds. Now that the rows have for the most part sprouted, I'm ready to lay more cardboard down, and top it with leaves.

I love going out in the morning to take account of what's happening in the garden.

Guess what? If you pull a radish seedling out of the ground and eat it, lo and behold it tastes just like radish. When I quizzed G in a blind taste test, he got it right away just like I knew he would.

Heart shaped early sprouts.

Sweet, yes?

Ah, the powerhouse.

Kale!

Another beautiful leafy green, swiss chard. I think this is rainbow so when it grows up, it will be a beautiful, bright and colorful.

Behold the wonder of planting a seed and watching it sprout. So cool.

 

I do love my beans.

You know the funny thing is, I really didn't have a taste for many vegetables as a kid.....salad, corn, potatoes, tomatoes............but I kept trying. Now, I'm don't think there is a veg I don't love.

Now these might be G's favorites, Dublin man that he is. 

They came up from last year! Sometimes that happens. I think we have four or five potato plants that came back from last year's crop.  Can you tell it's a mound? As potatoes grow you're supposed to keep mounding the dirt up around them, and then they grow more potatoes under that ground you mound.

This teepee is ready for pea tendrils to climb all the way up to the top. We have the branches ready to go for the second, just need to put them up and string them together.

I think the first peas may sprout today. Fingers crossed. The cukes which I planted in the middle of the teepee already have. We'll have to wait and see if that was the best planned spot.

Beyond the vegetable garden, flowers are blooming too.

How gorgeous are peonies? The layers and layers of petals. Swoon.

My rugosa rose looks better than ever. Even G noticed yesterday, and this bee this morning having a feast.

My rose by the door, which I have dubbed Audrey Jr. after the little shop of horrors because if visitors aren't careful they can be eaten up by it, is starting to bloom before I've even pruned. I'm so behind. I've got to give it a spray today with some soapy water. I see some little caterpillars munching and I will be having none of that. Happens every year but the soapy water usually does the trick. Works for aphids too.

That's what is happening at The Bates Estate this Monday, what's happening in your world?


In World Cup news, I was thinking of my blogging/etsy friends Marieken and her mom Wilma on Friday, as I watched the rematch of Spain V. Netherlands. In the last World Cup, Spain beat the Netherlands in the final. Friday, Netherlands stomped on Spain 5-1. I could picture Marieken and Wilma decked out in their team and country's famous bright orange, leaping with joy each time a goal was scored. It was quite a match. Sorry Spain, better luck in the next game. There were other great matches over the weekend as well, a good start to the month long competition. USA plays it's first game this evening against Ghana, always a tough competitor for us. I think we're well prepared though, under our manager Jurgen Klinsmann, a former German player who was quite a powerhouse and part of the West German team who won the World Cup in 1990. We've got a great roster of players, including my man and our captain Clint Dempsey and the rest of the guys. A well rounded team.
 

  AP photo by Jack Dempsey

I believe that we can win.

I will of course, be watching this evening. Will you?

Ciao for now,

Digging In The Dirt

Or, How I Spent My Weekend

Dirt under my nails, dirt all over my feet, dirt all over my clothes, my face, my hair..........
it was all about being outside, away from the computer way more than I usually am, and working in the garden this weekend.

We started on Saturday morning as we went on a quest for more organic seeds and potatoes (to add to the four I found growing in the garden already from last year) and some organic tomato seedlings. We lucked out on both fronts finding our seeds at the local Agway just around the corner. The seedlings we found at a local organic farm stand where I was greeted by a roaming chicken.  They had a nice selection of tomatoes, except for one I always plant for freezing: Romas. So I am still on a quest for some Roma seedlings.

Once we got back to The Bates Estate we got busy outside in the vegetable garden.

We were 'one with nature'.

G had some some planting last weekend, beans, spinach, kale, radish, lettuce, and chard.

To that we added more green beans, peas, cucumbers, potatoes, butternut squash, buttercup squash, summer squash, arugula and peas.  Oh, and more radish because I didn't know G had planted some already until I was watering this morning and noticed he had radish popping up. Should be good for salads this summer to say the least.

It's a pretty big garden and in addition to planting I worked hard on mulching with cardboard covered with leaves between each row. On top of that, we hope to put some salt marsh hay (it doesn't have grass seeds and weeds that get into your garden bed like regular hay can) on top for extra mulch. I'm hoping it will do a great job at keeping the weeds down so all the veg can grow, grow, grow.   G needs to pick up some more cardboard for me and then I can continue on my merry mulching way in hopes of staving off the weeds. We shall see.

I'll take some pictures of what it looks like now so you can see along with us, how the garden progresses. Be prepared for a midsummer weed takeover picture if the mulch doesn't do what I'm hoping it will do.

All of that said, it just felt so awesome to be out in the sunshine digging in the dirt. There is something about working in the soil and earth that, although it it's hard work, it's also stress relieving.

So I challenge you to get out in nature this week and take it all in whether you're digging in the dirt or walking in the woods or through a park. Just breathe it all in.

What was happening in your world this weekend? Did  you get out and dig in the dirt or did curl up with a good book inside? Spill the beans.

Ciao for now,

What Inspires You Wednesday: Back To Garden, so to speak

Flowers, Weeds & Wellies

I wish I could find more time to be in my flower gardens. Even though weeding is a ton of work that is always ongoing, there is something meditative about it. The quiet of the garden, taking notice of the small things, time to think or just be present.

I've dubbed my corner garden Wild Thing. I am currently working in the front bed, which can see a bit of here- it's just beyond the weeds that have taken over my walkway (if you were to turn around an look the other way, you'd know instantly why I call it wild thing. It's a jungle. I kid you not). I'm not sure why, but in the front bed, I can grow grass like a golf course landscaper. In my lawn? Not a hope. The flower garden, absolutely!  So, I just peck away at the grass and the weeds.  15 minutes here and there if I take a break from my desk and walk around the yard with the hound. An hour there, if I get a chance at the end of the day. Hours upon hours if I take a day on the weekend. See what I mean about never done?

I'm OK with that though. It's just enjoyable to be digging in the dirt at this time of year.

Today, the garden is inspiring me.  The resilience of the flowers after a hard winter. The resilience of weeds, no matter what. Noticing the little things, like the small toad that keeps hopping about this flower bed every time I'm in it weeding.  The transplanted peonies that don't look any worse for wear. Getting my hands dirty. The flowers that are ready to pop any day. The colors. The smell. It's all inspiring.

Add to my time in the garden, the fact that I came across these wellies that are calling my name. So much so that I just had to paint them because, they're all about 'what's to come' in the garden.

 

"Pam"

"Yes, wellies?"

"You need us."

"I know."

What's inspiring you today?

CREATE Challenge no.1- LAST DAY!

OK, the time is nigh.

This is it.

Hopefully those who said they wanted to participate are reading today, because tomorrow I will be posting my results and others, for CREATE challenge no. 1. Even if it's just lil' ol' me.

If you're in, shoot me a pic (QUICK) of your project so I can include it, okee dokee?

Right then.  I'm off to take care of the many tasks at hand which include logo revisions and printing, packaging and shipping. Another busy day.

 

What's happening in your world?

Whatever is happening, rock it like Mick and the boys.

Ciao for now,

 

 

How Does Your Garden Grow

Better Late Than Never

We were very late in getting our garden planted this year. So we figured, whatever happens....happens.

I'm happy to report, some things are happening.

Tonight we will be enjoying some fresh beans from the garden.

Arent' they gorgeous?

The tomatoes are giving it their all. They just need a little more time for turning red. But if you're like Fried Green Tomatoes..........that we can do.

What I'm really excited about are these...........

acorn squash

and butternut

I'm not sure we've ever really had success with winter squash. I'm happy to report that there are multiple squash on all the plants. So cool.

Gray day here today. Seems to have been a little rain overnight which we can use.  I'm off to run errands then back to my desk to work on multiple projects.  No rest for the weary.

Tomorrow, the annual labor day cookout at Tom and Joan's across the street. I think I'll make my cheesey spinach dip because it was such a hit with Tom last weekend at fellow neighborhoodlum Gerry's birthday party.  It's easy peasy and there is never anything left. I'll have to get some pics so I can share the recipe with you. You'll love it.

Other than that, just enjoying the last weekend of August.

Enjoy the day.

Ciao for now,

Around the Country Estate

Sort Of

If you've been following the Muse for awhile, you may know that we refer to our place as The Bates Estate. This should not confuse you into thinking that it in any way resembles an 'estate'. It's just 'our estate'. Our little half acre of heaven nicely situated across from Sunset Meadows.

When I need to get away from my desk for a few, just to clear the mind and recharge, I have a short look-see around the estate to see what's growing, and what's popping. It usually does the trick.

Today......................

honeysuckle berries

a gorgeous piece of barn wood we scored (not sure what we'll do with it yet, but we'll find some way to showcase it)

 

apples from the cocciardi orchard (we planted in memory of my Grampy) are almost ready to pick and eat

 

the pokeweed leaves are starting to turn vibrant red/pink. gorgeous.

pokeweed blooms turning to berries which the blue birds go crazy over, come fall. they start out as a pretty little white flower, then turn into this and finally the berries will turn deep purple. and look at those stems. it's a crazy wild plant and you better have room because it gets monstrous, really huge. but dang if it ain't pretty. then it dies back to nothingness and you'd never know it was ever there (except for the stalks left behind)

if you can't tell from the size of this rose of sharon bloom, these flowers open to the size of a saucer

Craziest cluster of roses at the end of a brand, I ever did see. The bush created it's own bouqet

our first tomato (can't wait to eat that baby!)

 

a baby green bean pushing its flower out of the way

 

our first little acorn squash. we usually plant summer squash but not sure why, because the neighbors always give us some of theirs. so this year, we went with winter squash and it's growing. woohoo

It's sunny and beautiful here today.

Working at my desk on a branding package for my client and love the direction. Other than that, more bookwork later. There's a lot of that on my desk. Need to play catch up, big time. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Summer heat is rolling back in and that makes this pool loving girl happy. Not that the cooler than normal temps stopped me from swimming.................

Ciao for now,

Still Life: White

Petals

Last year we transplanted a big hydrangea from my Mother. We weren't sure if it would take, though by all accounts, it seemed to acclimate pretty darn well after the transplant.

We had to wait until this year to be sure and it's been looking pretty happy.

It's bloom time now and it has survived and thrived.

  

 

 

Weekend Roundup

It was a beautiful weekend. Ours included:

- Campfire with friends and neighbors Friday night and a new soup recipe getting the thumbs up.
- Swimming in the pool.
-Weeding my front walk way. I also sprayed it with a white vinegar and water solution to kill the ones I couldn't pull and deter new growth. I'm happy to report that it worked like a charm. The weeds I sprayed died overnight. Poof. Shriveled up, crispy, gone. 
- Laundry. When isn't that on the list? However, since we put ours on the line to dry, we try to take full advantage of the nice weather when it's here.
- Campfire Saturday night and fresh Hake from our friend Ralph, cooked over the campfire, with some fries.

Mmmm.

- Chilling with the neighborhoodlums. 

That's enough for one weekend, isn't it?

Sunset Meadows

Almost forgot........and enjoying this beautiful sunset.

Amazing.

Lots on the plate today. Some design tweaking. Bookwork. Oh, and laundry out to the line since it's so nice out.  What's happening where you are?

Ciao for now,