Redbuds and Wrens: A Gardener's Journal

The weather is calling for a light freeze tonight. I gathered some old sheets and covered some of the flowers and plants in order to try and protect them from the possible frost. It was a beautiful day today to work outside. The plants are looking so healthy. Free from lack of moisture, heat, bugs, slugs, moles, critters, fungus, mites, japanese beetles and so on and so on...

In 2002 Lenora and I were very much enjoying the t.v. program, A Gardner's Journal hosted by HGTV's Erica Glasener. Her programs were lovely, filled with inspiration and some very amazing gardens. In May of 2002 Erica Glasener gave a lecture at the Cox Arboretum in Dayton, Ohio and Lenora and I were quite fortunate and excited to hear her speak about color in the garden and new varieties for that year. That was great!

This is the gardner's journal that I purchased prior to attending the lecture in hopes that I might get an autograph.

She kindly and generously offered pleasant conversation and her autograph as asked. I was tickled "pink" and Lenora assisted me so graciously in "we're pleased to meet you and we enjoy your program". I was a little

awe struck.

I loved attending this memorable event.

I made one entry in my journal about a great visit to Wegerzen gardens on April 4th of that year and an entry on May 2 about the lecture I attended at Cox Arboretum. The rest is empty. I don't consider myself a gardner but I do love them. So following and from time to time I'll post what I would jot down in my journal. Where I'm at with my plantings and where my plantings are at, as well as beautiful inspirations from other gardens I've visited and still visit.

I can not believe that after fifteen years of growth, my wisteria spiraling up and over my back deck arbor is blooming this year! I watched and patiently waited for that woody vine to flourish in profuse long lavender clusters of blossom like I see growing all over in folks yards and they never appeared. Only vines, vines, vines. Last year while at Meadow View Garden & Nursery I watched on from behind a cluster of lilys while the attendant was delegated to cut down a wisteria growing up one of their arbor columns. It was even older than mine. "Why are you cutting it down"?, I asked in curiosity. "Oh, we're changing our design and the owner wanted it to come down", was her response in her pre-occupied check list manner. Still wondering, "didn't it bloom", I asked in hopes I wasn't pushing my question allotment to someone who "just works there and doing their job". "I'm not sure", was the safe answer I received from the nursery employee. Hmmm...

I ignored my wisteria and pretty much gave up on it blooming but I certainly wasn't going to order it cut down. It's trunk winding around the arbor support is enough interest for me and I guess I can settle for that; then, what? What is that light grayish fluffy stuff on top of the arbor? My eyes don't see with acute clarity anymore so I fumbled for my glasses and went for closer inspection. You're blooming?! You're actually going to bloom this year?! I'm thrilled to see it in budding clusters all over.

Another sunny day like today and it could look pretty amazing!

My Japanese maple is looking beautiful. Dennis got it for me as a Mother's Day gift in the early 1990's.

I've always loved this tree and enjoyed watching it grow. It had a slow start and I was unsure of it's needs. One day while Dennis and I were cleaning out the gold fish pond, I began laying the extra aeration plants that grew in abundance in the pond around the maple and I noticed it began looking healthier in appearance. I also gave it pond water when I watered it for the extra nutrients.

Light pink viburnum shrub in background. Light pink and purple tulips in foreground. The sun makes everything show white. The tulips look very strong and healthy.

I wish you could scratch and sniff the photos of my side yard. Old fashioned lilac, lily of the valley and the sweetest most fragrant vibernum shrub. It's too chilly today to open windows to allow that fragrance to fill the house.

The redbuds and forsythia are beginning to lose their blossoms and leaf out.

The view from the kitchen window. I placed pots around strategically in clusters and plan to plant them with something colorful. I'm not sure of the color way yet but I have a planter with a rusty old metal beehive decorative stake and I think I will start with something yellow to make a whimsical appearance of honey.

Possibly calibrachoas, mini famous double yellow calibrachoas, yellow lantana, yellow calendula, or yellow bells, if I can find any of these.