Sophie's Gardening Year

  This week all I did was enjoy the garden.  We were only there on Saturday, Bart's birthday, and it was a gloriously sunny and warm day.  All I did was sit and read and nap.  And take a few photos.  And watch the bees and other beasties enjoy this late summer day.  And weed the teeniest little bit, in the sand garden. My parents came over to toast Bart's health, and it was the first time they had seen the garden in a few years.  I really enjoyed showing them around; it gives you new eyes to view your garden with a visitor, and it made me realize how big some of the plants have become, and how green the sand garden, and how glorious that nepeta really is. I didn't harvest anything, beyond a stray tomato that had fallen off the plant.  But it's near the end of our harvesting season anyway.  We're almost at garlic planting season already, wow! So yes, a very easy week in the garden.  Where everything was purple. ...

This week was one of those where I didn't have any interest in going to the garden.  They don't happen often, but when they do...  It's only because of writing something here today, and my partner wanting to go as well, that I went. And then of course I spent a beautiful two hours or so there, in the sun, on my own rhythm.  Just weeding the front flower garden.  I'm not done yet but today promises to be another glorious sunny late-summer day so we'll be headed back there I'm sure.  Still not too excited but that's okay. I think my lethargy stems from the oncoming autumn.  A few trees are changing their colors and it's getting colder at night and the geese have pretty much left (at least, I don't see them practicing their phalanxes anymore).  The worst part of the year for me is on its way and I'm in mourning already.  I'm like a flower, a spring and summer child.  I get my energy from sunlight and I can feel it dwindling.  And even t...

The first full week of September threw full-on fall weather at us: wind, rain, a significant temperature drop.  The kind of weather that makes you want to sit inside your house, under a blanket, with hot chocolate and a good book.  All of which I did, but, because I promised myself to write about the garden each week here, I made it out there yesterday, with Bart (having someone else to go with helps!). And we stayed for a good 2 hours.  In the sunshine.  Because it's always sunny in the garden.  Even when it rains.  :-) But before I go into what we did yesterday I want to highlight a wonderful app for novice gardeners like myself (and after a decade I still feel like I know nothing): Pl@ntNet .  Don't know what that plant is?  Upload a picture and find out!  Which is how I now know these gorgeous yellow things that make me happy are Rudbeckias: I'm hoping to catch them come seeding time.  I've been quite good at collecting see...