"Simple like an uncarved block."
Tao te Ching


"Like an acorn that holds the promise of a thousand forests."

Sunday, May 3, 2009

SUNDAY STROLL

Almost all the leaves are open, even the Oaks are responding to the natural order of things and unfurling. Do leaves unfurl? I think so. It feels so good to step outside and see lush greenery up between me and the sky. The birds are in full courtship or brooding and Flutemaker swears he saw lightening bugs last night. This double tomato pot is my gift to Flutemaker. He has been curious about this style of growing tomatoes, so when I found these at the Monterey Garden Club plant sale I just had to get one for him. The bush tomato is on top and the grape tomato hangs out the bottom. It will be fun to watch them grow and produce.We are in the midst of rainy days and although our wildflower bed has been tilled we haven't sown the seeds. These sherbet colored flowers (Aisling tells me these are Wall flowers, I checked and I do believe she is right.) are from last year as well as the Sweet Williams in the back ground.
This bush has several names; Sweet Shrub, Carolina Allspice and Bosom Bush as well as some Latin name. The reddish brown flowers are profuse and have a spicy sweet smell. The 'Bosom' label comes from the country women who secreted the flowers in the bosom of their clothing as a inexpensive perfume.



Yellow Wood sorrel. I keep all weeds that appeal to me. They can stay where they show up or I'll move them into the herb garden. The books says the plant has a pleasant, acid taste. We'll see. The Dandelion will have to go. I don't like where it is at.
The Lilly of the Valley are fully open and scenting the air. They are also filling the area along the garage nicely.Field Daisies are my favorite. along with all my other favorites.


Check back with me this week to see the rest of my wildflower adventure as I have found what I believe to be the names of the flowers we saw that I had no quick name in my memory. Our wildflower drive was rich with wonderful flowers.

Stroll along in other gardens at The Quiet Country House.

6 comments:

Margaret Porter said...

Nice to see Sweet Shrub again. I'm fairly certain it's unknown here in the North!

I look forward to following the progress of those tomatoes.

Marcie said...

Nice stoll! Are those "sherbet" colored flowers wallflower? I think one of your weeds with the wood sorrel looks like sulfur cinqfoil leaves. I have a lot of those sprouting in my garden, since I left one to bloom and go to seed last year. I love the heart shaped petals of the flowers and the pale, sweet yellow color... so I'm letting them "run amok."

Thanks for playing along again! I'll be picking Haiku up from work around chat time, but will try to sign in for a while either before or after I go to get her.

Everydaywoman said...

Just LOVE that double hanging tomato plant! Around here, it's always a joy to claim the earliest ripe tomato! Looks like you might have a head start with that one! Nothing like home-grown tomoatoes!

Cloudhands said...

Margaret,
I love the Sweet Shrub although it isn't what I set out to buy. I left the house intending to find and plant at least one Spice Bush. Alas, by the time I was strolling the nursery displays and saw Sweet Shrub I thought I had found my plant. I realized my mistake when it bloomed the next year.
Aisling,
I looked up Wall Flowers and I think you are right. I'll add a note to my blog giving them their proper status. We have masses of yellow cinqfoil. They indeed run amok quite freely.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

I smile at your pictures. I have had rain daily for over a week.
I have not had time to really know the proper name of so many plants.

Cloudhands said...

Ruth,
One of our neighbors has a brother in East Tennessee and she is selling his tomatoes already. I don't know for sure, but I think he starts with the tomatoes under big plastic covered cages that when the weather is ready he just takes the plastic off.
Ernestine,
These pictures were taken between the rains that we share. We are at a standstill in our planting schedual until it dries up a little. But I am so glad to have rain seeping into the earth. I can wait. Hope your country house is in a stage where they are busy inside.