Saturday, May 25, 2013

Rain, Sticks, Mud, and Leaves


Day five of rain here.  On the plus side, clover covers the lawn, runs rampant through the grass; the lilacs hang heavy, their blossoms bending almost to earth, and the petals of the last few tulips have thinned to translucent sheets of purple glass.  On the minus, the new seedlings are as likely to rot as to grow, the slugs and snails are partying 24 hours a day, and the mulch and compost heaped in the driveway have turned into giant mud mountains--even tucked under their tarps.

Clay pots await planting, the herbs await sunshine, and we keep working.




We are busy, rain or shine, clearing a new bed for the privacy border we're crafting from shrubs and shade-loving perennials.  And then there are the killer vines, the rogue quinces, and the dozens of maple saplings that look like they've been allowed to run rampant for many a year between our patio and a neighboring yard.  I've got my trusty loppers, my pruners, and my saw.  I've cut and cut and cut.  Found old roses and lilacs long-hidden from the sun, but still growing.  Have felt like Mary in her secret garden, uncovering the treasures, bringing them back to life.

And we're falling in love daily with new plants we've brought home from other gardens, from local plant sales and nurseries.  There's the bridal veil spirea with its old-fashioned sprays of white-lace flowers, and the Lady's Mantle to tuck in at the front of the sunny border where it will tumble over the low wattle fence we've woven.  



The salamanders are happy, as are the robins, and the chipmunks who live in the old stone wall don't seem to mind the rain, so why should we?  We have our little house to take shelter in at night when the heaviest rains fall.  There are candles to light and books to read . . . and there's even a chance that the sun will shine on Monday.  Just imagine what the roses will do when it appears.

14 comments:

  1. i feel like a little fairy who is peeking out from behind a rain drop marvelling at your garden and all the beauty there, by your candlelight, and in your lovely hearts ...
    such a beautiful post, dear gigi ~ in word and imagery ... l o v e : )
    xxo
    pg

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    1. Thank you, pg! You can join the other fairies in my garden any time! xo

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  2. Wait a minute, did you say you wove your own wattle fence?

    Pictures and maybe instructions coming?

    Enjoy. It all sounds heavenly.

    xo Jane

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    1. We did, Jane! It's just a very low one--maybe 8 inches tall, but it makes a pretty edging for the border. I will post pictures soon, and will explain how we did it--very simple and probably not the "correct" way at all! :)

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  3. ~dreamy~

    thanks forr the peek inside your lovely world

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  4. I do hope you are enjoying sunshine today.
    It is raining and gray in the other Portland far away.
    Love, love your photos and your flowers there.
    How wonderful to discover new surprises in the garden.

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    1. Well, now as I write this, it's raining here in this Portland, too. Sigh. Thanks for visiting and for your sweet words, Marilyn! xo

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  5. Yes, I want to see this wattle fence! Sounds enchanting -- all of it!

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    1. Well, I can't believe you've written a comment while you're traveling, Miss M! I can't wait to hear all about your adventures very soon!!! xo

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  6. Ah! The words you write are like music. And the photos are a sweet bonus. We have had lots of rain, too, and other interruptions to the late spring plans, but as you say, the sun may even shine on Monday. Love that!

    Keri

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Keri! Of course, now that the rain has stopped here, we have sunshine and 90-degree weather. I need to be careful about what I wish for! xo

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  7. Your photos are lovely Gigi and your garden sounds like a storybook garden indeed! My yard is such an overgrown mess that it feels too overwhelming to even think of tackling and you are giving me some much needed inspiration. Right now I imagine you are getting the heat and humidity we are...I think the plants prefer that chilly rain:)

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    1. Yes, Gail, we're getting that crazy heat. I agree that most of the plants really loved that rain, but the clematis is going crazy in this heat! It's loving it, which makes me happy.

      I hear you about the overgrown mess. We have several spots in our new yard gardens that look like they hadn't been trimmed back or cared for in years. We've cleared out two dump trucks-worth of brush, but we've still got more to go! xo

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