When in Drought...

22 days, 7.5 hours, 8 minutes and 44 seconds

When in Drought…

Since we haven't seen a speck of moisture fall from the sky in about 22 days, 7.5 hours, 8 minutes and 44 seconds (or something like that) I started thinking about droughts — probably a result of major dehydration from the extra hours of watering my new plant stock.

Naturally, I also began to think about the word 'doubt.'  When I later googled the phrase "When in doubt..."— I found a few answers: 

When in doubt — throw it out.

When in doubt — take more time.

When in doubt — mumble.

When in doubt — sing loud.

Benjamin Franklin said: When in doubt — don’t.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said: When in doubt — do it.

But how would you finish the phrase: When in drought?


When in drought  — ____________________________________________________.

A horrible sight...
What happens during a 90°F drought when you only water a hanging basket once a day.

Simply Cultivating . . . A Heartland Garden: A June visit to my Greenwood Indiana garden...

Simply Cultivating . . . A Heartland Garden: A June visit to my Greenwood Indiana garden...: Come into my garden and relax —  I hope you enjoy the colors and textures as much as I do. If you've neve...

A June visit to my Greenwood Indiana garden...

Come into my garden and relax — 

I hope you enjoy the colors and textures as much as I do.

If you've never experienced the joy of accomplishing more than you can imagine, 

plant a garden.  ~Robert Brault

Come back and visit y'all!

A New Addition to my Garden. And what do you say? Yay or Nay?

My garden was missing something...

Last summer I installed (and by "I," I actually mean my husband) three mirrors as a backdrop to my Japanese Maple and hosta garden. The effect I was aiming for unequivocally did NOT work.

Mirrors removed.

Earlier this summer I (and yes, you know what "I" means) installed two panels of  a three sided dark cherry lattice backdrop ....it worked.

But my garden was still missing something.

Today, before church, my gardening partner and I went to our local Bargersville Flea Market. And although Steve had to talk me into it -- (He makes quick decisions and I like to plod in thought before I buy anything) we purchased a bronze 4-foot long Japanese outdoor lantern.

It took:

30- minutes to decide where it should hang.

60-minutes to lasso the rope over the correct tree limb.

90-minutes to chainsaw and trim tree limbs that were in the way.

60- minutes to drag the limbs to the fire/pit and compost pile.

....but spending time in the garden with my partner was priceless.

The next step is to find some solar or battery-operated lights to fill the inside of the lantern.

Do you think the lantern works?

Last summer during the drought, I put in a Japanese Maple/Hosta Garden.  Erroneously (because it looked dumb and didn't really work) I put in three mirrors (now removed) as a "backdrop" to this garden canvas. Today on a pre-church trip to the Bargersville Flea Market, my gardening partner and I spotted this bronze latticed Japanese-looking lantern. After a few attempts to lasso a rope over the correct tree limb, it now hangs in the garden awaiting candles or battery-operated lights. 

Another angle...and though it does look like we have a cow trough in our yard -- there is a fence separating our yard from the cow pasture next door. And yes, I will be jumping the fence soon to move the unused trough to another nearby location. 

I can't wait to install the lights and see what it looks like at night.

The benefits of working at home...

There are distractions, but the benefits of working at home are obvious.

You can make multi-task and feed the family while finishing a writing project.

You can meditate, and be creative in the stillness of your home office.

You can postpone the home-cleaning (again) and venture outside to garden when the weather is awesome!

And you are reminded daily to thank God for the roof that he provides.

Simply Cultivating . . . A Heartland Garden: If you buy them, they will come... (home with you)...

Simply Cultivating . . . A Heartland Garden: If you buy them, they will come... (home with you)...: Bought some beautiful new perennials for my garden at the IMA Perennial Premiere on April 21st, including: Amsonia hubrichtii  (t...

If you buy them, they will come... (home with you)

Bought some beautiful new perennials for my garden at the IMA Perennial Premiere on April 21st, including:

Amsonia hubrichtii  (threadleaf which has light blue star flowers) — from IMA gardens

Hosta 'T-Rex' — one of the largest Hostas on the market, 30"h x 80"w

Baptisia australis — wild false indigo (I fell in love with Baptisia writing an article on Wilma Rasdall's garden)

Wisteria frutescens 'Amethyst Falls'— A gorgeous vigorous vine with huge lavender blue flowers. I am absolutely sure mine will be as beautiful as the one growing near the IMA greenhouse shop!

Brunnera macrophyllia  'Jack Frost' — a.k.a Silver Siberian bugloss with tiny sky blue flowers.

Hosta 'City Lights'— a large classic sun tolerant hosta. 27" tall X 55" wide.

Canna 'Austrailia' aka 'Feuerzauber' — I'm looking forward to the brilliant red blooms!

 

And yes, I do know that ten full days have passed and only one plant  has been planted. [Hosta T Rex, if you were curious.] 'The husband' who was my date on this festive IMA excursion noted that he liked the plants where they were in the above photo...which is quite similar... no, actually, EXACTLY how we unloaded them from the truck ten days ago.

So I was thinking two things: 

1) If you buy them....they will come (home with you.)

2) But seriously, they aren't going to plant themselves, now are they?

You may be wondering if I am having buyers remorse.  No! In fact, I'm kicking myself because I didn't purchase the beautiful rounded sumac tree that Steve urged me to get. But since I am volunteering at the Johnson County Garden Celebration this coming Saturday...I've got three days to 'git er done.' 

Happy May Day!