Spring Garden

"The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves withing." ~Bryant

Yes, the buds of the fruit trees are breaching their wintry hold.  The life and delicate beauty I could never engineer.  I am happy to marvel, sometimes too insecure and scared to involve myself.   Zander is happy to tinker with what all God has give him stewardship over.  The yard is a bonsai challenge and he studies it, prunes it, bends it to his will and also to what he believes to be its natural destiny.  Its nice to have Zander teaching me how to be.  To be.
To be
content yet hungering
convicted yet full of grace
solid yet mysteriously nuanced

I don't intend for him to sit on a throne of sappy compliments :) I do love him, and know that he is because God is.

The humble and ugly dump of concrete God gave was in desperate need of.... a lot
I lamented over what was not.  I wanted to walk in paradise.  I forgot I was walking and more often than not being carried by Paradise Himself.
Honestly, (and gee, zander, I don't know if you're aware of this *wink) but I lust after trees.  I exult their brittle branches to godlike stature.  I could delve into my weird self as to why I do this, but talk about a big yawn for the majority of people. Needless to say, I am a bratty and grateful girl at the moment.

Companion Planting

"Symbiotic relationships occur when separate life forms interact with each other and either one or both species benefit in some way." 

Like Artichoke and Tarragon.  Carrots and Dill.  Roses and Garlic!  

While it was still hotter than blue blazes, Zander suited up in either his handy dandy lady repellent over-alls, (or was it his thrifted, pastel plaid lady repellent golf shorts?)  and bent back over our freshly mulched garden bed.  The results of his sun baked toiling are growing with green vigor in lovely lanes of carrots, dill, kale and broccoli, in clumps of lemon balm, fever few, onion, thyme, stevia, echinacea, chamomile, and chives. 
Herbs and vegetables huddling together to ward of pests and promote utmost flavor.  


Like Cora and Ender. 

If I go in that direction, I definitely see Ender as more of the vegetable.  Hardy, healthy.  I see Cora as the herb.  Spicy and rather pungent:)  Seemingly two different species growing in harmony.  Even the pitfalls of sibling angst come to a good end, will come, I pray.  

Cora brightens his heart.   She's a stinker and her herbal aroma results in more laughter and lighter spirits.
Ender is her protector and shows her the ropes.  She follows him.  And he reports back to me when she is in danger or has broken a rule.  He takes pride in his role.  

Our garden grows with more color, variety and flavor than I can dare to believe.   
Last year, and a lot of this year, I've been weary of weeding, watering, willing those darn things to grow.   Waking up one morning, you look out your window and see the tiniest emerald blade jutting through the broken soil.  'Cora's innocent desire to be loved as she climbs to bone breaking heights, Ender's eyebrows pulling his blue eyes up to your's, revealing a mind that truly desires understanding & explanation of his world.  
I've realized looking at those two, there is more to them then sprouts in need of tending, but tiny tools themselves, used to do a work on my own plot.  

okay.  the garden analogy is getting old.  

Sunflowers are also an amazing companion flower.  Beacons of light guiding the bees and butterflies to a blooming bounty.

The spring came suddenly, 

bursting upon the world as a child bursts into a room, 

with a laugh and a shout and hands full of flowers.

I'm usually given a handful of mud or soggy crackers from Cora.  She is such a little thumbtack.

 

Last year, our barren yard had only a few wild flowers, which are miniature snap dragons. Truly, a flower that grows rightly well at the home of our very own Ender the dragon Slayer/Tamer.  Zander convinced me to let the scraggly things go to seed.  So I bore the silly humiliation of having our gravel yard dotted with dead weedy things.  He handpicked all the unwanted weeds and helped along the wildflowers to spread their love. I wasn't a believer in reseeding.  It just seemed too magical and not bought beautifully grown already from Bakers Nursery. 

Zander and nature proved me wrong.  Our yard was full of wildflowers. Yeah yeah yeah, from a distance it still looked like an unkempt lawn, but given a closer look, rainbows would suddenly splash through crushed granite and brick.

 

Flowers that just spring up seem like the friendliest kind. 

 

Starting from seed is overwhelming and intimidating. 
Each seed has its own set of instructions and you feel that if you don't follow them to a T, then they will die to spite you.  There is pre-chilling, pre-soaking, a preference for light or darkness, and special temperature requirements.  Seeds are divas!  The information overload paralyzes me with laziness.

I'm feeling more and more empowered, though,  by "Nike"s overused slogan, "Just Do It"

I am more determined than ever to understand the death and resurrection of a seed.  Now, if Zander doesn't come along and sabotage my work.  He pokes and prods the babies after he handed over the reigns to me.  I need to hide the spray bottle because he gets trigger happy and over waters and we lost a few... that guy.

He is again outside, on his birthday, beating our ugly dirt into submission.  After this weekend, I will sow the carrots and swiss chard directly in the garden.  But the rest of the seeds/seedlings I will wait probably until the first week of October depending on the temperatures. 

And again, I will give Failure a big bear hug when it comes my way.  Failure and I will be intimately acquainted and it will tell me all its secrets.  Defeat the enemy Ender Wiggin style. 

 If you build it they will come"  Which is actually a misquote from Field of Dreams staring Kevin Costner (1989), so I'm told.  Rather, its "if you build it, he will come"  It makes no difference to me, he/she/they are all my fairies, wrens, butterflies, beetles, ladybugs coming to take up residency in our garden. 
I made a fairy garden for my 4 year old niece.  One night, I couldn't sleep because my mind was obsessed with thinking about all the miniature fairy furniture I could make.
Just googling "fairy houses" makes my heart skip a beat.  We are created in God's image.  A God who made our dwellings,  trees to climb, brooks to wade in, glades to meander through, caves to explore.... We love to create our own worlds too, just like our God.  Dollhouses.  Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood.  Narnia.  Lord of the Rings.  Its obvious, isn't it?
When I was little it was all about my snail beaches and going with my mom to the nurseries to talk to the gnome and fairy statues. 

Cora.  One morning when you wake up with the green canopy of Junipine over your head you will wonder about the little muddy footprints found on your pillow.   Your wondering will lead to your wandering, through blackberry bushes, past apples orchards, across babbling waters and with the curiosity of a child you will find a small door tucked into the roots of a very large sycamore.  Your eyes will open wide as the full moon as you realize what you just found. 

Our first friend has been a spunky little wren twittering around in our climbing fig.  Her quiet chirps are shouts of affirmation to zander's hard work in the backyard.  She has come to inspect and approves.  Our plot of beautiful land marred and sealed off by concrete is being rehabilitated and is slowly on the mend.  Zander is a determined.
My brain is bathed in images of polished homes and yards via the internet and magazines.  I grew up in a generation and am growing old in a generation with no patience and instant gratification.  This house is slowly healing my diseased mindset.

Pilgrims at Oak Creek

This is my look exactly "Are we crazy?!" as we abandoned are oven home to shades of cool green.   Zander and I were both grumpy old men.  Especially, him.  He had a rough week at work and couldn't shake it, not quite yet.  Two weary parents packing up and leaving feels ridiculously hard.  When we arrive at Junipine, Ender finally caught on that we were tired and he reacted most annoyingly.  It was my turn to take the high road and let Zander go for a walk. Meanwhile Ender and I hunted tigers, climbed "mountains", and watched the Berenstein Bears. 

When Zander returned from his walk, you'd think he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.  He was a new man.  He did, indeed, walk with God, but then he mentioned something about an herb... say what?!  that apparently took his migraine pain away. Um... lets just say the rest of our vacation was groooovy.  :)

No, he didn't smoke this herb.  In fact, I think it was just a random creek plant he rubbed between his fingers and smelled the fragrance.  However, now our fall garden is going to be stuffed with medicinal herbs.  Zander suffers from migraines and he wants to lower his Ibuprofen intake.

It just seems like the two of us basking in solitaire and love.  Really, a healthy dose of our family is also meandering around the orchard.  This explains why Cora and I are so happy.  To spend the golden hour with living, breathing treasures who on the majority justify picking peaches and apples when in the back of their minds they know better.  Its one of those gray areas in life where we seem to find some color. 

Nana's Garden- Nana's iphone

Ender is beginning to initiate photo shoots.  He sits still long enough for a steady snap, then he zips it  to the camera to get a load of the cute guy in the picture.  

Here Ender sits next to his cousins "Colt & Isla".  Mama has many creatures and magical children hiding in her garden.  And so did her mama, Bobbye Jean.  Bobbye Jean who used to live in a yellow house.  I would go there in the summers and talk secretively with all of the enchanted stone statues.  

I intend to create my own haven for my family.  All magical critters welcome!

Black Rose

 

"Zwartkop"

Another fauna friend for our house.

I have yet to understand why I am so enchanted by purple plants, (some so deep they stain black or chocolate), but I am.  As a kid, purple was one of my least favorite colors.  Yet, by the time I heard my wedding bells ring, I was in love with "eggplant".  And on our honeymoon, zander & i hiked  Bright Angel Trail in the great Grand Canyon where a plateau of purple prickly pear first peaked my interest.  Those are my most recent memories of my attraction.  Somewhere along my life someone or someplant must have secretly charmed me...

 

 

The only photo that is mine is dead center :)  The others I randomly chose off google images without citing the source.  Ah well, how much harm can a  little naughty blog hiding in a teeny tiny corner of the internet universe cause?

 

1. Wandering Jew

2. Cordyline Red Star

3. purple potato plant vine

4. prickly pear

5. Purple Shamrock

6. Coleus-dark chocolate

7.  Dracula Raven

8. Black Star Calle Lily

9.Black Magic Elephant Ears

 

Donkey Tail - a succulent

 

Before my mom had to go back to work we took an afternoon to do one of our favorite things together.  Visit the garden shops & nurseries.  I hardly ever tell myself "no" when I see a plant or a pot for sale.  Mama bought me this houseplant, Donkey Tail, at Home Depot.  It would have been nice to support our local nursery, but we just couldn't find anything that spoke to us that day.  Our old neighbor at the bungalow had a copious amount of cacti and succulents decorating her windows and floor and walls and shelves and toilet seat, basically every nook and cranny. 

My dream would be to knock out as many dark holes in our house as possible, think Atrium!  And then never stop welcoming plants into our home.  I want people to bless me "The crazy plant Lady"

Funny thing is, my houseplant thumb is black.  I'm going to try and keep a record of my pets on my blog for a quick reference of care and maintenance.  Perhaps that will help. 

Its a wonder I found these three small treasure in this sprawling city.  

It was a quiet and colorful Thanksgiving weekend.  Please remember leslie: a sick baby who was cured by the company of his cousins, fried turkey, chicken and potatoes, plenty of rest, southern roots, mothers,  a trimmed tree, the Last Mohican,  and the ubiquitous grace of God.  

eating eden

eve.  tree.  images

an apple? i think not!  imagine a ruddy skinned bulb hanging unassumingly from a scraggly tree.  not very appealing, until one day...  the warm fingers of the sun have slightly cracked it open to reveal gleaming garnet.  Encrusted edible jewels flashing in the light.  Too tempting for me.  I pluck and devour. 

I spent my fall afternoons as a kid stealing pomegranates off people's trees with my best friend.  we would gingerly peel back the spongy encasing to preserve the "brains" so we could get as much juicy seeds in our mouths as possible in one bite.  Its messier than ribs.  I'm sure we looked barbaric with the bright ,red juice dripping from our chomping jaws, staining our faces and hands. Oh tis so sweet to be a child eating the redeemed forbidden fruit.

if your babe is ready, let him eat the seeds too. Its where the nutrients are!

fairy lights

i think it all started with my auntie terrye residing in an oklahoma version of Ariel's cave of wonders.  she is always coming up with something new to adorn her garden and creating it herself.  one of those treasures are hanging mirrors.  the sun looks into them and the reflection is a fairy dance of lights.  ender likes to try and stomp on the delicate display, but the fairy feet are always too quick in their frolic.  the pictures do not show, but the mirrors are all adhered prettily down some fishing line.  i made these for my sister.  i make them for my mom and eventually for myself.  one day.  mama also has a glass star filled with distilled water that mingles beautifully with the light.  we are always on the hunt for a piece that hangs and reflects resplendence. 

fresh and natural

when i lay down at night, i have the vision of these treasures dancing over my head.

zander is getting nervous about my obsession with painting everything white. he has been through this before with me, except, it was with black and crayola green. haha, oh zander, you love it.

i know the succulents in the trendy CB2 candle holders is so last season, BUT, i had to get it out of my system, you know? And i have to hand it to my awesome cousin greg who was the first before any magazine to craft these cactus creations. hes so hip :)

the stones my father brought back from one of his trips into the heart of the desert. This is them after a few baths in the rock tumbler. smooth and creamy.

the antique-ish candle vases are from the dollar rack at Target. Score! 3 for 2.50, say what!

Saint Patrick- I award you the Purple Heart.

purple shamrock. you're a dream!

That dear little plant still grows in our land,

Fresh and fair as the daughters of Erin,

Whose smiles can bewitch, and whose eyes can command,

In each climate they ever appear in:

For they shine thro' the bog, thro' the brake, and the mireland,

Just like their own dear little Shamrock of Ireland.

i can't lie. when i found out Zander had not a drop of green irish blood in him, i was a little perturbed. in high school, i swore by his irish ancestry. how did i get so delightfully confused? looking back, he was really into punk and listened to the Dropkick Murphys. that must have been it. AND he had a really thick lyrical accent at the drop of a dime. oh yes, and his sisters were really into Lord of the Dance. Talk about mixed signals! ahh, ignorance was bliss.

i discovered the shamrock at our local nursery. and my snail pal, i rescued from Walmart! he is too cute! he has the happiest smile.

our non edibles & musings

Are you supposed to pick a theme for gardens? Desert, Tropical, English Countryside....I can't decide, I get lost in them all.

I used to dig for snails in my mom's garden, then use leaves and sticks to create them a beach paradise. It took them a while to mosey off of their waxy green towels, so all in all, pretty cooperative.

I used to have english tea with the red dragon snaps and a little croatian-american girl.

I used to go with my mom to the nursery to greet all the stone statues by name. I so wanted to stay and live in their garden.

planting by moonlight

i didn't even know there was such a science! apparently, though, during the new moon the lunar gravity is pulling water up causing seeds to burst ( a good thing here) and coupled with increasing light encourages root & leaf growth.
Plant your: lettuce, spinach, celery,broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and grain crops.

However, last night was a Full Moon, a favorable time for planting root crops.
and ender howled all day and night...figures.


So I needed to dig my hands into the dirt instead of his little kicking thighs (just kidding) and zander and I are late with our planting, and heck if we're gonna wait for another lunar cycle.


1. black tree
2. swiss chard
3. purple sage
4. spinach
5. red leaf lettuce
6. creeping wire vine
7. string of pearls

"A single rose can be my garden...a single friend, my world"-l. buscaglia
-no this is not true of me. this is zander's quote. he loves roses.

this particular bush happened mysteriously on our doorstep one spring day.
got to hand it to the rose, it has wooed me. i now want a kaleidoscope of roses. but of the darkest hues. all of them slightly touched by the matchstick.