At My Door Step

What a nice neighborly gesture and surprise .  Since the hedge around my corner lot has been cut down the neighbors that walk by (and there are many) often stop for a quick chat .  One neighbor that lives nearby and has lived here longer than I have asked if I would like some Asiatic Lilies . Of course, I said yes .  It just so happened that when I recently returned home from having a CAT Scan they were sitting at my front door .  Nothing like a plant can cheer up a gardener !

These  Asiatic Lilies are from her garden .  I'm not certain of color .  But,that is just fine with me !  In time past we would call these "pass along plants".  These are often "The Best".

These beautiful colors of recently opened Daylilies are so enjoyable for me and there are still more varieties to come .

And now some returning flowers from last years May planting at the corner near the driveway .

I think these Black Petunias are fascinating and they are continuing to put on a interesting show along with the returning Yellow Calibrachoa (Million Bells) .

This past Spring I planted two new plants in this area near the driveway . Each of them were one gallon plants and both of them have been growing beautifully .  The first plant in the photo below is a Viburnum 'Opulus Roseum' commonly known as Snowball .  I have always liked the Snowball plant and so happy that I was able to find one in early Spring this year .  There was a  Snowball plant in this area when I bought the house .  But, unfortunately it had to be removed due to some type of disease .

The next one is Cotinus Coggyria 'Grace' known as a Soft Purple-Pink Smoke Bush .  I look forward to the uniqueness of this plant .  It is described as having new leaves that are pinkish-purple turning green as the season rolls along . Much of the year it is green with pink tips . Small pink flowers are in huge clusters , up to 12 inches in summer , and fall color is fire red and purple .   Sounds very interesting to me .  Perhaps , a focal point .  I have planted it where it will have enough room to showcase nicely !

It was just yesterday that I was able to finish revision of the other side of the driveway .  Needless to say the soil is almost non existent .  From a few years ago when I planted a few  Indian Hawthorn  Rhaphiolepis  'Jack Evans'  plants very little attention has been given to this part of my garden .  I think it is a good plant for the area . Fortunately, early in the season I found six more plants at the local nursery .  And then a few days ago when I was buying more planting mix ,  two 'six pack' of Coneflowers jumped into my cart .  Does that ever happen to you ?

The color of the Echinacea purpurea , Purple Coneflower (that can be self seeding) will go nicely with the blossoms on the Indian Hawthorn,  Rhaphiolepsis .

My Garden Ducks that came with me when I moved here many years ago  have been keeping watch over the driveway garden for a very long time .

The railing that you can see goes to what I call my Secret Garden  .  It needs lots of work up there . Years ago I picked up two railing at a yard sale that were used with a mobile home . I fastened them together , "planted" them and jokingly would say that they will help me when I am old and feeble .  Well , I guess you can say that I am, now OLD but I don't think feeble - - -yet !!!

Hope your New Week is a happy one .

Mary

Neighborhood Visitors

Our area has been having more visitors of the wildlife kind more frequently than anytime in the past.

It was just last week when I was talking to a neighbor who lives on the next street over and she mentioned that a couple bears had been in their yard the night prior.

And, recently on two different occasions, I have noticed the trash barrel in my next door neighbors yard has been turned over and lots of what appears to be white paper spilled out nearby . The home is a vacation home and they are frequently here since their main residence is only about two hours away.  They are the neighbors that live on the other side and are very meticulous about their home and garden maintenance. So, I really doubt that there are any food scraps in the barrels. But, the bears are really hungry and they probably smell food from the barrels.

The fact that my property is fully fenced seems to help keep the bears as well as the deer out.  The prize (trash) with the least resistance is probably the more desirable target area.

The forest lands further up the hill have been severely clear cut and that causes the bears to migrate down to forge for food.

The Rose Of Sharon is starting to bloom.

The Rebecca At The Well fountain sounds nice and cooling !

I hope your week is Going Well.

Mary

A Study In Contrast

A couple days ago I showed you the lovely property of my neighbors directly across the street from the front of my house.  Today I will show you a contrasting view of the property behind my house.  My house sits on a corner lot.  My White Garden is along the property line at the back of my house.

This is the area where most of my gardening efforts take place.  Now let me show you what is behind this garden at the property line. Yes, yes, a big white propane tank that is very bright when the sun shines on it.  This year I did something to distract seeing so vividly the utilitarian object that sits across from my garden.  I did not keep a photo of it from inside my garden prior to my remedy.

However, this will show how bright, large and close to the property line that it sits.

This is what I did. And, it was so easy and not expensive !  I am very happy with the improvement !

 It is only when you look straight on that you may notice the tank.

The property line.

 The area between our houses.

 The neighbors house.

This is further along the fence on the neighbors side.

The Jasmine does a nice job in providing some camouflage.

You can see the Clematis that is cascading over the fence and will be carpeted in white flowers in a month or so.  I never thought in my wildest thoughts that I would ever buy something like this faux covering.  But, it certainly has added to the serenity of my garden.

Now you might ask "what is the neighbor like?".  She is a great neighbor.  She inherited the house from her parents. The house is one of three homes that she owns and she visits one weekend a month.  It has always been a vacation home as long as I have lived here.  It is quite interesting that there are three houses in a row all owned by single women.  I am the only full time resident of the three houses and I have lived here the longest.  And, I am very happy and grateful to live my life in this little corner of the world.

I hope your weekend will be a Wonderful Time.

Mary

When The Trees Are Bare

It was while I was taking a little walk through my weather beaten garden a couple months ago that I noticed the house across the street and took a photo.  And, thought I would like to share it with you .

Very seldom can I see my neighbor's lovely home across the street from me because of all the heavy foliage/growth on the many large and old trees that surround their two story plus basement house most of the year.
 
The house rests at the hilltop between two different streets.  The owners have been living in the foothills for many long years .  About 12 years ago they bought the lot which is atypical in shape and small in size . They designed and built the house with two different driveways, one on each side of the house leading to a different street on each side.  They are wonderful neighbors, always willing to help me if I need assistance.  I don't often ask, but it is nice to know that I can . And, I have the opportunity to visit them any time I desire.

It was very intriguing to watch from my viewpoint (across the street) as the land was prepared with the use of large dirt mover equipment, especially the driveway. 

The workers were a father - son team and they worked in tandem like a finely choreographed ballet. Very dangerous work but executed with perfection.

Their home is beautiful and was built with the utmost quality.  In particular, the woodwork throughout is fabulous, especially the stairway .  The ceilings are high and there are beautiful tall built-in bookshelves .  There are so many things about the house that I really like .  The stairway to the upstairs takes you to a large loft area that can be used in so many different ways.  And, the floor plan is very unique and very livable. The pantry is a favorite of mine .  And. the view of the area from up there is great.  You can almost see Main Street two short blocks away !

It is really nice having them as neighbors.  They are not the least bit pretentious in their manner which is something that one might expect.  And, the property value certainly can't hurt our neighborhood .

This is how the view from my house looks most of the time.  The trees are lovely.

A nicely secluded residence for them most of the year .  And, nice neighbors as a bonus for me !

It almost looks like a park from my house !  I am grateful for the nice view !

I hope your week is Going Well.

Mary

Very Busy With A To Z

But let's start with a quick healthy lunch.   So often when I get busy I hate to stop and take time to eat, especially if I am working outdoors.  However, today I made myself go inside and put a quick salad together.   Grabbed from the refrigerator.

Lettuce
Tomatos
Avocado
Green Onions
Red Kidney Beans
Artichoke Hearts
Pickled Beets
Real Bacon

And topped it off with High Priced, High Calorie Girard's White Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (0n sale).

Sinful 120 calories  (mostly fat) for one 2 Tbsp serving.     To be more accurate - - - healthy before adding the dressing!

And then, a little bowl of Red Cherries for something sweet.

Most of my recent hard work has been outside.   No surprise there!  Still have a little more power washing of some of the sidewalks.  Lots of clean up of weeds,  downed tree limbs and leaves  and tree trimming of what I can reach and with ladder.  I will be calling a Tree Trimmer man tomorrow to trim the Cedar Tree branches over my garage.  And, I still must get someone to clean the roof and spray for mold, moss and algae on the roof shingles.  Plan to use highly rated Wet&Forget.

Two wonderful things happened this week that I must share with you.  First, when I went to the Post Office to pick up my mail,  much to my surprise,  I received A Class Action Case check for $150.00! On many occasions I am tempted to NOT open each and every piece of mail.  But, I won't give that thought any time in the future.

Second,  and most miraculous is that a young man who is the son of the man across the street who occasionally takes my yard waste to the dump for me has returned SOBER and CLEAN following a year and a half relapse with serious drug addiction.  I first met him a few years ago when he first became CLEAN.  He is such a likable young man and I was so surprised and crushed when he relapsed.  He reunited with an old girlfriend who is still using and moved away.   He had been working with his father and is now back again working with his father. On occasion he and his father have done work for me.  They attend the church across the street and there is a tremendous support system.  I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw him and talked with them on Tuesday.  There were lots of big hugs and rejoicing. God is good !!!

Until next time.

Mary

7AM - What Is That Horrible Loud Noise

Oh! The tree trimming service guys are here and there are a lot of them with their red hats. Here is a man in the bucket with his red hat.

I took these photos from my garage side door. They are working at the house across the street from me.

They are trimming along the driveway that goes up the hill to the main house and behind the building you see in the photos. This is not the first time that I have seen tree trimmers up close but this project is like something I have never seen before. There are about six very large trucks/vehicles lining the street including the telescoping bucket truck, shredder truck and others. See the red hat in the next photo?

The trees are huge and I have never seen trimmers bring down large portions of the tree in this manner.

And, I don't think I have ever seen trimmers at the top of fully extended telescoping equipment. At least not this close!

That's a long, long, long way up into the sky.

See all the red hats at the base of the tree on the ground.  This process went on for hours and I occasionally went out to watch. And, each time I watched with amazement.

And, now, a little look at my fig tree as the leaves are falling and winter is setting in.

Hope your day is going well. Please send positive energy to the tree trimmers that they will be safe and finish the work without incident. It is such dangerous work!

Mary

Have You Eaten Buffalo

Recently I was invited to my neighbors home for dinner on a Sunday afternoon. She prepared a Buffalo Roast and it was very good.

It was a really nice dinner of grass fed, rich and slightly sweet bison roast, braised until tender and juicy, nestled in a bed of many fresh organic vegetables like asparagus, carrots and mushrooms. Additionally, she served twice baked potatoes and a few side dishes. Her seasonings for the roast were exceptionally nice for a very lean meat. Red wine was a great accompaniment.

I didn't think it was appropriate to photograph so this is a google photo which looks very similar.

We had a nice visit and got to know each other. She travels a lot with her work and is not home very much. Additionally, she has two other homes, Tahoe and Napa Valley.

It was a fun evening and dinner was lovely.

I hope you had a good weekend.

Mary