Happy Half Year's Eve to You! (PART THREE May and June 2011 Follow-Ups)

As  promised, I am continuing with my follow ups in honor of the half-year.

In terms of May 2011 follow ups, as you may recall, dear reader, I spoke about The Five Boro Bike Tour, at the onset of that month (in blog posts that you may refer to by clicking here and here). In the latter of these posts, I expressed gratitude for Max Osso being able to step in that the last minute when my regular captain, Zoe Waldron, hurt her Achilles tendon, but thankfully, she graciously loaned us her tandem, so that we could participate in the event. Fortunately, she ultimately recovered for the most part, and has cycled "solo" as well as with me on a tandem on a number of occasions since that time. 




Additionally, since my May 2011 posting, I have received photographs, purchased by Achilles from Brightroom, of Max Osso and yours truly in various stages of The Five Boro Bike Tour, and I have posted one of them above today's blog entry that shows us cycling in Central Park, and one below which was taken early on in the tour.

Also in May, on May 11th, to be exact, my flowers quoted Dr, Suess saying, "Today was good, today was fun, tomorrow is another one", and now in this  half-year follow-up, I can attest to the fact that indeed, they are having fun as evidenced by the photographs of some of my honeysuckle flowers posted below.

enjoying the trellis which, as you may recall, dear reader, was installed (to serve as a hedge) on  May 17th 2011.




In another posting, this past May, the birth of my H.F. Young Clematis's flowers was announced in an entry that you may refer to by clicking here. My H.F. Young Clematis's flowers were indeed a beautiful asset to my terrace garden; however, they have a short life. Since their departure, they have left me with beautiful, yet playful, "hairy" pods, as evidenced in the collage featuring one of them in both flower and pod which is posted below.

The follow ups for June  2011 include news on my Anethum graveolens (Dill), which I wrote about approximentaly ten days ago. (This may be referred to by clicking here.) Since that time, a change has already occurred, it is sporting little yellow flowers as seen in the image  seen below. (I am in the process of rendering this image into a note-card and will release details as soon as they are available).

Other June follow-ups in terms of my terrace garden include the flourishing of my Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium), which can be seen below. (As you may recall, dear reader, when I initially wrote — please click here to read — about the arrival of my Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium), I was a little concerned it might not do well. This is because I have have attempted to grow Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium) on a number of occasions in my terrace garden, but it never fared well. Perhaps because the Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium) is in a different location within my garden, or perhaps because I have now used a different soil, it seems to be thriving this time. Still, as I've mentioned before, even though I know people do it, I cannot imagine eating these beautiful flowers — no matter how good they may be in a salad. Instead, I will render images of my Tropaelum majus (Nasturtium) into the selection of unusual communication materials that I create: invitations that preserve a moment in time, event program covers that enhance any occasion, and greeting cards that are about more than communication; all of which you can find information on, by going to my down-loadable brochure, as well as my on-line brochure or the store-front of my web-site; where purchase information is available.)  

  

My terrace garden was not the only urban garden mentioned this past June. As you may recall, twice in June of 2011, I blogged about the gardening endeavors of Danielle Rosa (who honed her green-thumb skills through an internship that she participated in at Riker's Island in New York), as she expanded the family's urban garden. (You may refer to those blog posts by clicking here and here.) As you can see from the most recent follow-up photographs (posted below) of the urban garden that Danielle revamped, it is thriving. My they grow up fast indeed!

And with the thought of how they grow up fast, I'll end  this follow-up posting with two more follow-up pictures of how one of my plants, my Ophipogon planiscapus (Black Mondo Grass) — that I have eluded to in blog enteries I've made this far this year which you may read by clicking here —  is doing now.

He's Blooming! Check out his awedome white flowers, beautifully contrasted with his black foliage. And now, as for my follow-ups . . .  that's all folks . . .




But , you dear reader, if you are a gardener, how has your garden evolved during this half -year? If you are not a gardener, what changes in the year thus far have you noticed in gardens or plantings you have seen in your area?

This Season's Charming Lavandula angustifolia

Perhaps, you recall, dear reader, that over three weeks ago (May 14th 2011), I posted an entry titled "I've NEVER seen a billboard lovely as a tree . .  " (which you may refer to by clicking here), and, you may recall that an antique sign bearing the word "SODAS", was the subject of that post, and was an item that used to be placed where I now have Lavandula angustifolia, growing in a window box placed inside an old fireplace fixture that has been located in almost every area of my terrace garden over the years, and  one  which has "housed" an array of plants, including my Ophipogon planiscapus (Black Mondo Grass), and a variety of basil that I've nicknamed Heather's Basil.
You can see how both of these plants can be seen arranged in this "fireplace fixture turned planter", by referring to a previous post, by clicking here.


A variety of Lavandula angustifolia once lived in an area of my terrace garden that is southeast of the location featured in the photograph at the top of this blog entry. At that time, both the Lavandula angustifolia and "SODAS" sign were part of my Halloween decorations, as seen in the photographs posted below which are images that you may recall from an October posting (which you may refer to by clicking  here). 

I don't miss the "SODAS" sign per se; however, I do miss the privacy it gave me from the folks who live in the building directly north of me whose picture windows face yours truly's urban terrace garden. In a sense, the "SODAS" sign provided an "urban hedge", and the importance of hedges is something which I have discussed when Juan V built me a trellis (from my bamboo stakes) for my honeysuckle vine to have a place to play and grow, as you may recall from a previous posting, "Love thy Neighbor —  but Don't Pull Down Your Hedge",  and which you can review by clicking here.


Meanwhile, as for my charming Lavandula angustifolia, it is an herb that not only attracts honeybees, but it is a culinary delight; a few facts which I discussed in a posting from last August (2010), that you will find by clicking here. It is worth losing the privacy that the removal of my "SODAS" sign may have cost me — and besides one day my Lavandula angustifolia will grow big and tall. For now, I'll just enjoy watching it grow, and as for the folks in the building north of me, I guess you could say I am performing a community service: I'm sure they'd rather see my charming Lavandula angustifolia, than the back of a metal sign.

Monday Morning Musings #1: Challenging the adage "bad things happen in threes"

My Ajuga plant (seen in the photograph posted above) located in the northwest corner of my urban terrace garden has just given birth to triplets bearing a spectacular color somewhere in between purple and blue, a color that puts RGB charts to shame. From the looks of things, my Ajuga will be giving birth again soon, but I wanted to capture her first three arrivals of the season, and to challenge the statement that bad things happen in threes, both with the subjects of the photograph posted above, and with all the subsequent ones in today's blog entry.


Exhibit "A", my Basil Triplets (pictured below), which I had in my terrace garden in 2007; not only did they provide a nice scent to my outdoor haven, but they were an asset to my Blue Coat Gin and Q Tonic cocktails infused with Basil. Moreover, they looked great in a container created from an abandoned fireplace accessory, and, most importantly, they provided somewhat of a "hedge", giving me some privacy from my neighbors who live to the west of me, and who have put up white aluminum siding over their exterior brick wall; I guess they missed the suburbs.

In any event the "hedge"that this trio of basils provided, inspired last season's "hedge" created by a Passiflora (Passion Vine), seen in full force in the photograph below:

Exhibit "B", is actually my first "hedge", created when I first began gardening towards the end of the 1990's. It was a" hedge" that consisted of three wooden window boxes (sitting on top of bamboo shelving) that I filled with different annuals as the season dictated.

This "hedge" was built out of a necessity to provide privacy from a neighbor, whose bathroom window is just to the left of the gutter in the photograph posted above, and who insisted on exposing himself whenever I had guests in the garden. I was a "baby"gardener then, and, therefore, into the instant gratification annuals bring, instead of appreciating the joy in "watching grass grow', as I do now, which is a concept I discussed this past April which you can read by clicking here.


And speaking of grass, I give you Exhibit "C", in this case of mine designed to prove that things that happen in three are not necessarily bad, as seen here in the photographs below of my Ophipogon planiscapus (Black Mondo Grass) triplets,which looked lovely in my abandoned fireplace accessory (prior to moving out to give way to the Passiflora),

but, look even more spectacular in their other location on the opposite side of my terrace garden, where they are supported by a copper wire that's been tied lovingly around their containers to secure them to the railing that surrounds my terrace garden, and where they have been thriving under my Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (Kiwi Vines), as seen in the selection of photographs posted below, which are a close-up as well as a long shot of my Ophipogon planiscapus taken a few days ago and this past fall respectively.

Exhibit "D" in my case to dispel the-bad-things-happen-in-threes adage are these Echinacea Triplets posted below, that I grew a few years ago when I replaced my "window box hedge" of annuals with the fun-looking Echinacea triplets, that would become an inspiration for a petite wrap around greeting card that I created, which can be viewed in the store-front  pages within my my web-site, where they are available for purchasing when you want to send a greeting card that is about more than communication.

Exhibit "E" features the triplets known as Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary), seen below,

the herb of remembrance, as well as the herb which represents friendship (as you may recall from a previous blog post which may reread by clicking here), and the herb that looks great in color, and black and white (due to its unique texture) as seen below.

Exhibit "F" (below) features Japanese Painted Fern triplets, who resided in my terrace garden a few years ago.

And lastly, but not least, in my challenging the adage, Bad things happen is threes, I offer you Exhibit G, as in G for girls, and in this case, the girls being my sisters and me seen in the photograph below with our grandfather,

who clearly did not seem to believe that bad things happened in threes, and who, as you may recall is where I most likely received my inclination to garden (as I indicated in one of my first blog entries, which you may refer to by clicking here).

And with that, dear reader, I rest my case in my challenge of the adage bad things happen in threes.

It's here! It's here! You are so right, Ms. Guinevere

Happy May Day, dear reader, Happy May to you! Today is the beginning of a new month, May, a month where Catholics honor the Blessed Mother Mary, and also a month where, nationwide, May is known as Bike Month. That being said, I'm sure you realize that the so-called greatest city in the world, New York City, where I live, certainly honors the "merry, merry month of May" — when it comes to bikes —  starting with the first Sunday of the month of May, when they host the spectacular Five Boro Bike Tour. In describing the Five Boro Bike Tour,  Bike New York recently stated that, "If you are lucky enough to snag a spot in the Five Boro Bike Tour . . . on Sunday (May 1st 2011), you'll pedal 42  miles of New York streets that are closed to motorized traffic . . .  riding car-free with 32,000 fellow cyclists . . . " And once again, yours truly "is lucky enough" to "snag a spot" in the Five Boro Bike Tour via the courtesy of Achilles, and the grace of cyclists (who through the Achille's division known as the Twin Tandem Program) volunteer their time as bike captains for the blind, as well as the visually challenged who is legally blind like yours truly.

As you may recall, last May, when I participated in the "tour ride" for the second time, I wrote about Achilles and how I happened to be involved with them. If you'd like to read (or reread) that blog entry, please click here.

I anticipate that today the Five Boro Bike Tour will be even more spectacular because of the sunny, yet cool temperatures for the weather conditions (I've done the tour twice once in pouring rain for the entire 42 miles, and once in blistering heat — not the best of weather conditions either year, but an awesome experience nonetheless), and also the fact that I am meeting my captain an hour later than the previous years which gives me time to tend my garden and collect my thoughts. My regular captain had a sudden emergency and she had to cancel our plans at the last minute; however, through her willingness to loan her tandem to another captain and me, and some fast footwork by Achilles, I will be riding with a different person this year — courtesy of a last minute arrangement for which I am very grateful and will discuss in my next blog entry when I report on the ride. Last year I reported on the ride with cycling related humor, ( as you may recall, but if you'd like to read it again please click here). 


It is a blessing for me to remember that I am feeling much better this year because, in spite of the jokes which I posted in the link after last year's ride, I was not feeling very humorous at all, which is evident by the sad expression on my face in the photograph of yours truly that was taken towards the end of last year's race — right before we crossed the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Even the ride could not lift my burdens that year, one of which was the danger of my losing my home and consequently my garden that I adore and for which I provide the upmost care. The fact that the month of May (besides being a month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and bike riding), was named for the Greek Goddess, Maia, who is identified with fertility, is not lost on me, I can certainly see the association — given how my garden is flourishing this year —evidenced by the photographs posted below which were taken a little after 6:00 A.M. today  just before I must leave my apartment to meet my captain for today's ride. With all the lushness after April's dreariness (discussed in many April blog entries that you can go to by clicking here for one of them and from there you may go to others if you like), the contrast of my garden during the long winter, coupled with (for the most part) the dreariness of April, with the lushness of my garden beginning to flourish on this May morning are not unlike the bleakness I felt last year at the Five Boro Bike Tour, but am experiencing the hope for enjoyment today.


In any event, its May! It's May! And the song of the same name (from the musical Camelot)  is on my mind as I water my herbs, plants, shrubs, and trees this morning, and if you'd like to join in on that fun song as you view my garden photographs here's the link.

Guinevere:

It's May! It's May!

The lusty month of May!

The lovely month when ev'ryone goes 

Blissfully astray.

It's here, It's here!

That shocking time of year

When tons of wicked little thoughts

Merrily appear!

It's May! It's May!

That gorgeous holiday

When ev'ry maiden prays that her lad

Will be a cad!

It's mad! It's gay!

A libelous display!

Those dreary vows that ev'ryone takes,

Ev'ryone breaks.

Evr'yone makes divine mistakes

The lusty month of May!

Whence this fragrance wafting through the air?

What sweet feelings does its scent transmute?

Whence this perfume is floating ev'rywhere?

Don't you know it's the dear forbidden fruit?

Tra la la la la1 That dear forbidden fruit!

Guinevere and Chorus: 

Tra la la la la !

Tra la la la la !

Tra la la la la !

Tra la la la la !

Tra la la la la !

Guinevere:

Tra la! It's May!

That lusty month of May!

That darling month when evr'yone throws

Self-control away.

It's time to do

A wretched thing or two,

And try to make each precious day

One you'll always rue!

It's May! It's May!

The month of 'yes you may,'

The time for evr'y frivolous whim,

Proper or 'im.'

It's wild! It's gay!

Depraved in every way

The birds and bees with all of their vast

Amorous past

Gaze at the human race aghast,

The lusty month of May! 

Guinevere and Chorus: 

Tra la! It's May!

The lusty month of May!

The lovely month when ev'ryone goes

Blissfully astray.

Tra la! It's here!

That shocking time of year

When tons of wicked little thoughts

Merrily appear.

It's May! It's May!

The month of great dismay.

Guinevere:

When the world is brimming with fun,

Wholesome or 'un.'

Guinevere and Chorus:

It's mad! It's gay!

A libelous display!

Those dreary vows that ev'ryone takes,

Ev'ryone breaks.

Ev'ryone makes divine mistakes

The lusty month of May!

Most of the images from this season's urban garden growth will be rendered into my collection of invitations that preserve a moment in time, event program covers that enhance any occasion, and greeting cards that are about more than communication, so please continue to check my web-site  for details and feel free to download my paper brochure.

BTW, if you have an immediate need and want to use a certain image for your communication needs, arrangements can be made for exclusive, custom made orders.

Well, dear reader, enjoy your May Day, and I'd like to hear how you are spending it.  As for me, I could just fiddle around in the garden, but it's off to the Five Boro Ride . . .

"April is the cruelest month . . . Winter kept us warm, Covering earth in forgetful snow, feeding a little life with dried tubers."

"April is the cruelest month . . . Winter kept us warm, Covering earth in forgetful snow, feeding a little life with dried tubers."





Standing in the doorway that leads to my urban terrace garden and looking at my plants, herbs, trees, and shrubs, I am reminded of this T.S. Eliot's quote because the bleakness of this year's April, in New York City, has ruled (weather  wise) — evidenced in the photograph at the top of this blog entry — where one can see that the things which I grow in my terrace garden, in New York's Upper Westside, are beginning to "pop out" of hibernation.

In certain instances, some of them show a few buds (as mentioned in this past Saturday's blog entry), but they are all still 'wearing' the 'winter-gear' that they were 'dressed' in a few months ago, and most of the things that I grow are not nearly at the stage where they were last year. In fact, I had 'undressed' everything by this time last year, and my Paeonia suffruitcosa (Tree Peony), showed its first buds last April, and this can be seen below in a photograph taken last year on April 13th — exactly one year ago today.

These beautiful green "bud-shells" seen in the photograph posted above quickly became a white bud, a bud, that inspired a blog entry, that you can refer to by clicking here. Last spring, my peony went on to fill my April with joy and anticipation, and to inspire a few blog entries that were reminiscent of a baby book that my mother kept when I was born, and where she logged my first steps, words, lock of hair etc. My peony is one of my many children, and you can refer to the progress it made last year by clicking here, as well as here, and here . 





I am looking forward to what it will bring this season, but it is making its 2011 debut — where it appears to be either waving or applauding — as captured in the photographs posted below:

Some of these images may be rendered some into my line of invitations that preserve a moment in time, event program covers that enhance any occasion, and greeting cards that are about more than communication. You may recall that last spring, my Paeonia suffriyicosa, was the inspiration for images used in this way (described in my paper brochure which you can download here).





Today, as I write this, we are nearly at the midpoint of April, and my Paeonia suffriyicosa still is not quite ready to shed its 'winter-gear' and is still huddled in the southeast corner of my terrace garden with its friends, including the Ophipogon planiscapus (Black Mondo Grass) as seen below.

Seeing all my herbs, plants, shrubs and trees grouped together — outfitted in their burlap wrapping — reminds me of Christmas gifts waiting under the tree to be unwrapped, and I am eager to unwrap everything I grow, but I respect their need to wait before 'coming out' this season because they went through a rough winter  — which you may imagine from your own experiences with winter this year — and may also recall from one of my previous entries. However, winter kept them warm with"forgetful snow" (which you can see in the photo below) so I hope they all flourish in the forthcoming spring, summer and fall. 

Of course, we all know that Mr. Eliot was talking about something more profound than protecting garden treasures, in his poetic work, The Wasteland, from which the quote (used for today's blog post title) is taken. However, it is rather eerie, at least to me, that while this poem was published in 1922, its lines ring just as true today (with all the war and devastation that continues to occur in many parts of the world). According to the CSS Forum), The Wasteland refers to "the degraded mess that Eliot considered modern culture to constitute, particularly after the first world war ravaged Europe. A sign of pessimism which Eliot approaches his subject is the poem's epigraph. Eliot lives in a culture that has decayed and withered but will not expire."





But despite Eliot's supposed focus of decay, he does (as CSS points out) live "in a culture that will not expire", and  it is the value of persevering that has inspired my blog post today, on a dreary April Wednesday. Wednesday being a day that is not usually a part of my posting schedule.





No, dear reader, I have not suddenly been blessed with newfound vim and vigor. Rather, this morning, after I checked on my garden, and pondered how my garden looked last April, I wondered what my urban gardener followers are experiencing in their gardens and how they feel about the month of April. Please don't say "April in Paris" as I gave up being envious for Lent (which is almost over) and may not be that be able to stick with my intent (-;





And also please don't remind me that April's deadline for tax filing is approaching, which could be the very reason that April is called the "cruelest month" and a subconscious reason for my writing this week's "extra" posting, writing it provides an excuse for not following up with my accountant (-;





Wishing you a Happy (almost) Mid-April. Now on with those taxes, although, there is still plenty of time — this year we do have those extra three days . . .