[gardeners] Saturday in the garden
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 17 Mar 2001 18:09:16 -0600
Woke up to a chilly morning so gardening was limited to checking out the gardens
to ensure everything was doing okay. Stuff in the greenhouse is growing rapidly
with the warm sunshine.
The azaleas here and in the neighborhood are in full bloom as are the ornamental
plums and pears plus the dogwood trees. The coral honeysuckle is also blooming
and the vine is covered with those blooms. While checking out the honeysuckle
the hummingbirds were very evident. I hereby announce that the RUBY THROATS are
in town. Hurriedly sterilized and filled one feeder and hung it, a steady
procession of male birds have been calling, feeding, and fighting. Thought I saw
a Rufous but could not confirm the sighting so guess it was my imagination.
Our son came today, dragging a U-haul trailer behind his old Mercedes (damned
diesel - sounds like a thrashing machine coming down the street, it's a 1982
model). In the trailer he had my gun cabinet and most of my guns. Seems they
have a contract on their house and are moving to the burbs. With two small
children and no lock on this antique gun cabinet it was decided to bring them
home. The cabinet is holding up pretty well. Thirty years ago I obtained an old
secretary in bad condition and traded a local cabinet maker a good remodel of an
old military rifle to recondition it. Needs a little carpenters glue on some of
the decorative molding but, in the main it is doing well for a piece of
furniture made in 1892.
We enjoyed a nice visit with the son leaving about 2 pm for the drive back to
Houston. He has laryngitis and his wife has a virus of some type, she stayed
home with the kids today as she wasn't feeling well. He had several cups of a
nice herbal tisane and his voice improved while he was here. Sent him home with
the fixings for several different types of tisane for he and his wife plus the
makings for fennel tea for the colicky youngest grandson. First time he's been
here in nearly four years so we really enjoyed the visit. Hopefully he will be
back with the entire clan when all are feeling better.
He was impressed with the gardens and, while he likes to garden with flowers, is
not intending to do much with the prospective new home for the first year. I'm
envious though, they have picked out a home in Kingwood, outside Houston, and
the sale of the old house will provide enough monies to pay cash for the new
home. Didn't realize how much his old place had appreciated in just three years.
The Louisiana iris are starting to bud up and, in some cases, are blooming. The
common purple with a yellow throat is already opening blossoms. In addition the
giant amaryllis is budding and blooming with blooms about six inches across
opening up. Need to mow the lawn but some of the native wildflowers are blooming
out there so will leave it a bit longer.
Life is indeed good.
George