It's hard to remain hopeful these days when every newscast brings new reasons for worry - or anger. I've tried to limit my news consumption but I still read and digest more than may be healthy on a daily basis. My garden remains a refuge and, whether walking through it to water, pull weeds, deadhead flowers, prune rampant growth or simply snap photos, it manages to distract me, bringing my blood pressure down and clearing my mind, if only for awhile.
I thought I'd share a few of the casual distractions that caught my attention this week as my Wednesday Vignette, rather than enumerating the circumstances that had me climbing a wall.
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For some reason, a Gulf Fritillary landed on this Agave americana medio-picta 'Alba' and spent enough time there to allow me to get a couple of decent shots
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Agapanthus 'Stevie's Wonder', planted as bulbs last year, produced their first blooms. I arguably don't need any more Agapanthus but I couldn't resist its dark blue color when I saw it in a catalog last year.
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I planted a handful of Crocosmia last year and promptly forgot all about them. I've no record of how many I planted or where I put them but this one made a surprise appearance in the back border.
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This unusual Sisyrinchium called 'Quaint and Queer' was in full bloom this week but I had a devil of a time photographing its tiny flowers. This was my best shot.
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The seedpod of my Moroccan peony (Paeonia cambessedesii) ripened and burst open to reveal shiny dark blue seeds against a bright red background
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I cut the peony's seedpod and planted those seeds in pots in the hope that at least one or two will produce a new plant.
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I couldn't find any references describing the requirements for growing these peonies from seed but I thought I'd give it a try anyway. Each of these pots got 3 seeds and I planted the the last one directly in the ground.
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All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Best destressor is you garden. So many things to get caught up in and see that it really puts you in the moment. Also, nothing like a little weeding to get out any remaining frustration.
ReplyDeleteOver the last several days, I've been "combing" my Mexican feather grass my hand, which is both exhausting and therapeutic, if also a little hard on the hands (even when gloved).
DeleteOh, Kris - I am SO with you on the garden as a distraction. It keeps my head on straight, and grounds me when the world spins out of control. I love the blue Agapanthus. I have a big one called Storm Cloud, and a dwarf variety called Sandringham - both planted in the community garden where they get the light they need. Love them both. Be well, and take care. Hugs to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna. You take care too!
DeleteThe cool-for-July weather has allowed me to focus almost totally on the garden and ignore the news. Double win. Now 90s predicted Thu-Sat, so the happy mood is likely to decline. Hope you find some additional distractions.
ReplyDeleteSo cool you got some Peony seeds! Hope they all sprout for you. Can you have too many Peonies? Nah!
Nice richly-colored Agapanthus. The washed-out ones don't do it for me.
It would be wonderful if I can get a couple of those peony seeds to germinate. Annie's offers the peony at periodic intervals but they're gone in a flash.
DeleteI love the new agapanthus. They are a bulb that has to be dug up here in the fall. A house I passed by to go to work had a row of them for years. I watched the row grow larger and larger. Then one year they disappeared and all I can think is that there was an older person living in that house and they must have passed or lost interest. It was a cheerful sight that I still think about from time to time when I drive that road.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the garden is a mind saver especially now.
Fortunately, Agapanthus requires very little attention to survive here, Lisa. I'd be in trouble if I had to dig up all the clumps I inherited with the garden each winter.
DeleteGardening has saved me these past 4 months. I'm a little worried about my sanity come October when the season is finished. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!
ReplyDeleteI'm not looking forward to the lead-up to the November elections, Eliza, even with our advantage of comfortable fall weather.
DeleteThat is cool that you are trying to start new plants with your seeds. I will be anxious to see how many new plants you get.
ReplyDeleteMy remedy for the news is not to listen. I don't believe anything they say anyways. Same for Facebook. Everything is twisted to fit each sides agenda. Somewhere in the middle lies the truth, but is it worth the turmoil to try and find it. I'm beginning to believe that where there is money or power, there is corruption, and it doesn't matter which side you are on. I'd rather not discuss or hear peoples opinions because it simply leads to more stress, anger, and division. I don't wish to be divided with people I love, so I choose to keep my mouth shut and the news off. I don't consider that burying my head in the sand, but instead it is my solution to not spreading more strife, and saving my own soul.
I understand your position, Cindy. We each need to find our own way through the current mess we're living through. I try to strike a middle ground as I believe the saying "forewarned is forearmed" but I avoid sources that operate at either extreme and look for the legitimate truth-tellers out there - there are some! I avoid Facebook like the plague, though. I'm married to a scientist and, as we've been together since we were teens, I like to think some of his critical thinking skills have rubbed off on me. I get angry at times it's true but I work hard at being kind in direct interactions, recognizing that many people do what they do out of a sense of fear and frustration, as well as ignorance when it comes to science.
DeleteThis is a welcome respite for me today. Saw my eye surgeon and though there is improvement (not as much as I'd like) when I asked about a timeline I was both discouraged and encouraged. I had a macular hole before the detached retina and though the hole is gone it is the state of the macula that will determine the state of the vision in that eye. It can take up to 2 1/2 years to know what that will be. Sigh... So I'm in it for the long haul and keeping my fingers crossed. If I compare it to the state of your garden from beginning to present, there's hope for the changes to come. Hopefully that's true for the state of the world, too.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine how difficult and frustrating that visit to your eye surgeon must have been, Barbara. I'll keep my fingers crossed with you that the problem resolves favorably!
DeleteFinding a Gulf Fritillary butterfly beats a raccoon discovery any day of the week! Agapanthus 'Stevie's Wonder' has a gorgeous intense color, but I'll admit to loving the name even better... Fun experiment with the peony seeds. Are you not in the habit of dead-heading?
ReplyDeleteYes, butterflies are a joy while raccoons at best are a mixed bag even when not engaged in acts of destruction. One left me a head-less rat on Wednesday - mixed messages there for sure!
DeleteI'm generally relentless about deadheading, which is why I get far less self-seeding than I'd like to see. The Moroccan peony produced a single bloom this year, which I caught sight of when it was already on the wane. It a small plant even after 6 years in the ground so I didn't notice it again until the bright red seedpod formed. I decided then to leave it alone in the hope of harvesting the seeds.
Fingers crossed! (for your peonies) Love the agave/butterfly shot!
ReplyDeleteI seldom manage a decent butterfly pic and I was delighted that this one inexplicably included an agave, Loree.
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