Hello everyone from the mythical land o California. I am pooped and fading fast. I think the second wind (note: not a straw reference) will not arrive tonight-have a bit of the time zone thing going on here. I am really glad I added a recuperation day to my time off. There is no way I could function at full throttle at the office tomorrow. I heartily recommend a day of rest after an Idyllunion. Add that extra day into your schedule for IU6.
And here is some info I completely forgot to pass on- did any of you IU5-ers know that The Temptations were staying at our hotel on Saturday night ? They had a concert at a Westchester County venue. Thats why the hotel was so packed that night. Good for us-they were all at the concert when we were partying in 420 !

Glad to hear that Wendy and Saucy made it home intact Chelone is probably busy trying to describe the events of the weekend to the helpmeet. That might take a day or two !

Cindy , 7 hours ! yikes-that is pretty similar to my travel time today.

Jerri, we all rushed out to bid you farewell and the cab/shuttle had already flown the coop. Wasnt it fun to meet everyone ? And you got the extra bonus of seeing Deannes garden. At least two extra days for me next year !

Saucy, your pics turned out really great . No classes or anything..maybe youre a natural .

bug, what is actually in your barn ? Is if full of stuff ? I fear mine would be. Really nice photos as usual.

My typing is getting really sloppy, so I think I need to sign off and fall asleep in the chair watching the ballgame. Hoping Sues foot is ok, Martie is recovering in comfort, PM is sleeping, and will post more tomorrow

Kathy in Napa

Good morning all,

It looks like we are in for another day of unsettled weather today. I'm hoping we don't get anymore storms like the one yesterday. That was a doozie.

Great to hear the last of the Idyllers have made it home safe and sound.

Great pics Saucy and Kathy! Love them!

Kathy, So how did I miss the worm? and where was that? I can't believe I don't remember that one. LOL ~~ Yes indeed jet lag is a definite issue, especially after traipsing about in the heat for three days. Hope you're back to normal today.

Babs, great to hear from you. So happy you enjoyed the Fuller Gardens pics! ~~ RE the storm damage, I know most of the plants will recover, even the coleus standard, but that will take awhile.

Brenda, Im looking forward to seeing pics from your new camera.

Jerri, hope all goes well at the doctors.

OK time to get moving here. I surely wish you all could see the Tarragona Orienpets blooming right now. They are this very pale creamy yellow and are so beautifully scented the whole back gardens smell wonderful right now.

Have a great day,
Deanne

Woke up around 4am and have been feeding cats, reading email and generally puttering about. It is great fun to see the photos coming in...and of course Saucy's clematis are a hit with me!

Kathy, your question about the contents of our barn is an embarrassing one...one asked by many. Well, we keep the staging for the local music festival in the downstairs portion. It is being used now but will be returned in early August. DH has his hockey practice area set up there too. I keep wire caging for shrubs in the old pig pens. There's also fire wood there.

Upstairs is one caged pet rabbit and lots of other wildlife: raccoons, pigeons etc. There is old lumber which DH thinks he'll use "one day" and some old bicycles that sometimes get used. Our son and daughter have cases and cases of stuff there as well, stuff that they cannot throw out. It is pretty much destroyed after sitting around for years with mice and weather...It has been a good ten years since we've swept things out and we should be putting on masks and working on it, but 'should' is just a word....I think we'll try to set up the old ping pong table for Skyler's visit. DS installed a rope swing last year. There's one pretty safe area with sound flooring. Otherwise, there's risky parts where kids must not go.

Last night I managed to plant a Rheum by the barn, move a forsythia, plant Gaillardia 'Oranges and Lemons' and a yellow echinacea. I also weeded a bit. It's good to get these plants in the ground at last, between showers. I hope to get more done today, weather permitting! It sure will save watering them all the time.

The frogs have been so loud lately, though it is fun to hear them. The birds have been noisy too early though and this makes the cats active..and hence I get less sleep. That's OK though. I like it better than winter. ;)

Spoke to Reed on the phone last night. He told me what an airplane says and what a doggie says.

Time to get the day going...Enjoy yours!!!
'bug

I slept like a complete rock last night! I was tired from all that walking in the heat......

Deanne, that is some amount of water that got dumped on you....areas around here were reporting the same, but not a spritz for me....I had to drag the hose. Hopefully everyone is standing at attention in the garden this morning. And you know, you could take a picture and we all could see the orienpets....since I need more help with exactly what orienpets are....though I have an idea that they're spectacular lilies :)

Must work on flower i.d.'ing....I know I'm annoying in that department. I used to be better, but now the kids take up so much space in my head :)

Everyone thought of you at the Climbery, GB. You were there in spirit and I even blabbed your name to the owner :) I blabbed it because I was thinking of Babs :)

Hi Babs! The lightening sounds frightening! Yikes. Check all your appliances before you decide not to call the insurance company.....

I am really excited to get going in my garden. I have visions of moon gates and arbors dancing in my head. I came home to find that the 12 year old not only watered the pots, but every plant in the garden, too, and she spent a substantial amount of time getting the hose stuck in the new hose reel (which automatically winds the hose)....I had a good chuckle since I didn't expect her to be neat and wind the hose....in fact, I left it out for her :) BTW, if you're on the fence about the auto hose reels, I highly recommend, as long as you save the water that it uses to retract the hose (it has a water driven gear inside).

Anyway, I think my coffee has kicked in and it's time to square this office away. I hear it might be overcast this week....perfect for all the big plans I have in the garden :)

TTYL....with pics!

Saucy

P.S. Kathy, Denise wandered into the lobby early one morning and was shocked to see the place filled with musical instruments....wonder if they were with the Temptations? LOL...if only they'd heard our band.....

I love reading about Idyll gatherings and seeing the photos. It sounds (and looks) like it was another fabu-fabu and fun time.

Nothing of interest to report from here, but I wanted to pop in and wave to all....

T.

I arrived home to cloudy skies and clammy low '70s. I could tell there must have been a deluge the night before as there were little gulleys in the stonedust leading to the center of the circle. My little "Missy Squarekins" (Vera) greeted me as soon as I pulled into the dooryard, trilling and emitting excited little mews. Wrecks was basically beside himself; doing the "articulated" dog thing and whining. I was indeed in the "feline straight jacket" last night.

Wendy and I remarked that it was a bit of a let-down to see everyone leave, too. We're with you on that sentiment, Monique. I smile at the very thought of some of the sillys. I am not sure if Kathy noticed or not but I did flash the light in my room as a final salute as I watched her pull out of the motel parking lot in the pre-dawn hours yesterday.

It seems I shall have to bury myself "catching up" on my reading assignment, but know I had more fun than a body ought to. :) It was a delight to meet the birthday girl, Jerri, our token left coaster, and the very funny Denise. It's truly special when people get together and instantly fall into such an easy rapport, spiced with fits of laughter.

I am glad you are home, Martie. As the helpmeet always says, "why would anyone want to go to a hospital, let alone stay in one? That's were all the germs are!". Can't argue with the logic. Take good care of you.

Later!

Back from the dentist for the "final fitting;" the plans for a few hours in the garden before the heat have been foiled w/ storms, heavy shower, altho I dont think that as bad as Deanne's (ugh, poor Deanne wonderland) and it's going to be on and off all day -- guess that means I really have to do the laundry, think of grocery shopping (yes, Jerri, I am w/ you on the immediate diet event -- I somehow managed to gain weight instead of losing thru the buckets of sweat we did lose, LOL) and no potting up in the new pots, bummer. Maybe it means I should sort and upload IU photos, uh? I'll wait for someone else to start a separate thread.....

Glad to hear that Martie is home where she wants to be and all went well; Denise, those are terrific photos and I love the fantasy porch, altho I think mine might be configured a bit differently, but it's way cool.

I think I was just blotto yesterday -- too much fun, sun, driving, laughing, etc.... trying not to think of reality of going to work tomorrow -- how come these IUs go soooo quickly??????? Not Fair! We should be allowed to savor each minute.

Hey, T - we thought of you and each idyller during the event - hoping next year ya'll can make it wherever it ends up......

Ok, now it's come for cup of java; had to wait a bit for cement to set, LOL ....

--Cindy

P.S. - Im dying to figure out what clematis this is - it was labeled a T3, but no name.....

{{gwi:165499}}

I'm still in the land of the living but I have a very low energy level. I've been battling this intestinal thing for a week now. It's mostly just an upset stomach and little appetite at this point. I'm glad that I didn't have IU plans and have to cancel - that would have been more of a bummer than not going in the first place.

I'm am plugging along and going to work. My boss had it much worse and ended up in the hospital for several days.

We were able to get to the nursery over the weekend, where I picked out another arbor to replace the one that I returned for crappy workmanship. It will go in the potager for the grape vines.

We received over 2" of rain this past weekend, which has the garden and the gardener smiling (oh, the farmer too)

It sounds the the gathering was a huge success. I'm enjoying the pictures and wondering if I could make a mini succelent worm for Kenzie's garden. She would love it. Maybe it will work some time for us to make another IU. I hope so.

Martie, I hope you are feeling more perky each day.

Have a great day and stay cool!
Michelle

Deanne I *can* smell 'Tarragona'~mine is in bloom too: ) I have been astounded at the height of mine-at least five ft tall.I've been watching mine like a hawk because I'm having lots of antlered rodent problems and I'll cry like a baby if the deer find it. I'm hoping to score more cheap lilies toward the end of the season(I found Tarragona for 5 bucks last year).

Saucy I can only imagine what 'musical' selections your Idyll band performed ; )

I need to go mow the lawn and hopefully get some pics.

Have a great day!

~Babs

Good morning :-)

Well, what a happy group! Sounds like IU5 was a complete success that even a heat wave couldn't put a damper on. Welcome back.

And a post from Martie! So happy to hear you are home and all is going according to expectations. Miss your posts. :-)

Monique, I hope your plants recover. That has to be disappointing to come home to. I have done that to myself a time or two, not paying enough attention to how much rain we were getting.

Deanne...you have had a time of it with all this weather this year! But your garden still looks better than mine....lol. We had a ton of rain that came down in torrents too and some of the plants are leaning all over their neighbors. I am just happy I don't have to drag hoses around.
Weeds are growing like gangbusters though.

Loving all the photos...I do like that Echinacea photo you took Kathy. V...I will have to look for that variety...such huge cones.

Is that a succulent caterpillar? It reminds me of a photo Mary posted from a previous IU of a dragon which impressed me quite a bit. I wonder how many people it took to create that?! [I see a worm is another interpretation...lol]

Saucy..nice photos! How did you like your new camera?

So ladies, waiting to hear stories. :-) Or is it....'What happens in New York, stays in New York.' [g]

Denise, I am confused...did you go to IU5? I thought I saw someone post you made it home safe. Mitch's photos were excellent! Very colorful outfits and that first photo an action shot with lights behind...not easy to get that so clear and crisp. Tell him great job!

I am in love with that porch!! We don't have a porch and miss the one we had at many of our houses growing up. We had a very long one on the side of a house we had once that reminds me of that one, but not nearly as nice and no tub for sure! I would be happy to live in that porch...lol.

Michelle...SO sorry you are still feeling sick. Your boss must have gotten dehydrated? Must have been a doozy of a bug. Hope you start to feel more like yourself soon. No fun having to push yourself back to work when you're not quite back to normal.

Cindy...what a gorgeous photo of that clematis! Just love it!

I am not quite back to feeling as good as I was and the sleep routine is getting old but I am just trying to ignore it and let it work itself out. So another quiet day planned here. It is overcast and cooler this morning after buckets of rain the last few days here and there. I have the A/C off for a change and the house fan going for a little while to get some fresh air.

Glad to see everyone home and looking forward to more photos.

pm2

I should be at the grocery store but I'm mentally still Idylling ! Just a quick post here this morning. I started some separate threads for IU pics.

Jerri, I wonder how many calories one burns when laughing ? Not enough I guess ! Maybe Pizza, fried zuchiini and gin off set the losses?

Deanne, the bugs were in the childrens garden which I bravely ventured into the last hour we were there-it was up behind the gift shop. It was empty at that hour, not a child to be seen (thank goodness), thats where I saw the cardinal.

Hi Babs and T ! Start saving your change, bet you could have Air fare by next July...

Ok gotta get to the store.. more later

Kathy in Napa

PM, the Denise we refer to is Saucy's very cool friend who came along with her ...

Kathy

Someone came to IU5 very prepared:
{{gwi:165501}}

SunnyD = my friend Denise. Sorry for the confusion! SunnyD reports a good time was had and that I wasn't too bad of a roomie.

Michelle, I'm sorry you've had such a rough time of it....glad you're on the mend. I smiled over the happy farmer :)

Oh, and SunnyD reports that she saw the "Temptations" on some of the instrument cases, but was sure it wasn't the Temptations and then exclaimed, "The Temptations saw me in my pajamas!" LOL.....

Okay, I'm trying to find some time between dinner/cleanup/bedtime to upload and add to the threads (thanks Kathy!).....

Saucy
(glad to see Martie check in!!!)

It looks like a good time was had by all at the IU! I thought at first the pictures Saucy posted from the Climbery must have been at gbs I was skimming fast. Ditto the deep blue clematis on the cedar fence that Cindy posted. Clearly, clematis and cedar rails are a necessary combination! I wonder where I could put some cedar rails here. I liked the worms and frog. It would be neat to have the space and patience and time to build/grow something like that. Ive also got that E. Vintage Wine now on my wish list!

Martie Im glad your procedure went well and youre feeling reasonably good. Youll be back in the garden in no time by the sounds of it.

Brenda exciting news for all of you re the ring etc. Randy and I didnt bother with an engagement ring one was on offer but I'm a very practical person and preferred to put the money towards savings for a house. Randy was a bit disappointed I think, although he agreed re house having priority. He kept suggesting a ring as anniversary present for a lot of years so we finally got me a ring a few years ago (although I think I disappointed him again by choosing an aquamarine instead of a diamond - or emerald (my birthstone). But the sister of someone in the MBA classes I was taking at the time was a jewelry-maker so she made our wedding rings. Theyre not as fancy as the ones in gbs link but we like them.

Babs that lightening strike sounded scary! I hope the computer wasnt damaged and no other appliances either.

Michelle I hope you get rid of the intestinal thing soon that doesnt sound like its been much fun!

We had a bit over 3" of rain from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon but nothing was damaged like some of you have had happen. The garden looks happy!

The porch picture was very attractive. I like porches very much and spend a lot of time on ours. The back porch has a comfy lounge chair and Misty and I hang out there together a lot. Misty knows that sit outside means time for her to run to the patio door, while wait for Randy means go to the front door to go sit on the chairs on the front porch.

A couple of years ago I planted what was supposed to be Niobe and Miss Bateman clematises on the iron arbour. I wanted a red and white combination there. The white one turned out to be purple and Im not sure the red one was actually Niobe. Both came down with wilt two years running so we dug them out last fall and planted honeysuckle. But guess what popped up this year again!
{{gwi:165503}}

So far, no signs of wilt so knock-on-wood maybe coming back from whatever roots we missed has been good for them I dont like the purple one but dont know how to get rid of just that one. I like the red one, which seems very vigorous this year.
{{gwi:165505}}

Speaking of vigorous the Chinese wisteria tree/bush has a very substantial presence this year! Its doing a nice summer bloom this year, thanks to regular pruning. When I took this picture, I noticed it looks a bit bare on the ground under it. There are things there but have not filled in as I would like. So I bought a couple of Midnight Rose heuchera today to plant under there. I will likely have to move the daylily so they don't clash.... The daylily color isn't working with the wisteria, so it needs moving anyway.

{{gwi:165508}}

One of the brugs I bought last year at the farmers market (after falling under the bad influence of people like Deanne :- ) is blooming now. I dont particularly like the color it doesnt go with anything in the yard Im afraid. The other one is supposed to be yellow but it doesnt have any flowerbuds yet. I suspect it needs another year of growing but Im looking for new homes for both of them

{{gwi:165511}}

Drat - the routine of home & work has again assumed its rhythm. We all need bumper stickers that read, "I'd rather be idylling".

Michelle, I hope you're feeling better. That seems to be one nasty bug - are you sure it isn't food poisoning? Been hitting the jalapeños lately? Hope you mend soon.

Eden - a book, a dog, a garden - what more could a young girl need? A great photo!

And I've neglected to say Happy Birthday to Jerri, so this one's for you:

{{gwi:165514}}

Not much else new here. I spent my time showing the pics to DD instead of editing them. Perhaps manana?

V.

So, what happens when you see several fabu-fabu gardens and then you come home and look at yours ??? Always a work in progress.
On day one we descended en masse (three carloads) on a garden center outside of a small village on our way back to the hotel from the Climbery. It was reminiscent of the tour bus full of little old ladies pulling up at the casino. Deanne had her cart full in no time flat ! Very nice little garden center it was too, spotless and beautifully maintained. Someone remind me of the name of the place !

I was just about comatose last night, sat down with my Wave Hill book with the ball game on, saw about 3 pitches, never even opened the book and was asleep in the chair.
I did get all sweaty laundry done today, grocery shopping, bills paid and everything watered-lots of deadheading too. The garden is entering into the summer doldrums. Thank goodness for zinnias , rudbekias and cosmos. They cover a multitude of sins.

Brenda, congrats on the happenings in your family ! Per your request , we had several glasses of wine for you !

Eden , I loved your succulent collection and the way you have displayed it. It reminds me of the collection we saw and Stonecrop-Cindy posted a pic of it over on the IU5 Day One thread. Your garden looks really lush and beautiful. I was at our farmers market this morning and lo and behold there was a L. Silver Edge. I came that close to buying it, but resisted.

Lol Marie, if I had a barn like that it would be pretty full too. I think your pergolas are awesome. Do you plant any late summer stuff for after the Clematis are done? Youd have loved the climbery, she had several beautiful pergolas all built with rough timbers like yours.

Denise, nice porch pic, though my version would be screenless ! It was unbelievably green back there greener even than the PNW this time of year. I was really interested in the climate dynamics. It doesnt seem to cool off at night much-almost like coastal tropical Mexico in summer, hot, humid and lush. The most interesting thing though(explained by Chelone) was that the coast does not moderate the temps the way it does here. No marine layer ! Ive visited the east coast several times but always on business and did nothing but schlep around from a hotel to a cab to a convention center, and not much chance to get out and see the lay of the land.
Mitches pics are wonderful by the way.

Chelone..No, I did not see the flashing lights ! Damn ! Id have guessed it was you though, I dont think anyone else would have been up that early-which was by the way 3am Pacific time. No wonder I fell asleep in the chair.

Things are looking mighty fine around Casa de Woody !

PM, I hope you can solve the sleep dilemma. Maybe you have a different biological clock and should just sleep when your body tells you to- 4 hours at night and 4 hours during the day. My DS has been a night owl since he was an infant (my DH and I used to refer to him as Dracula) and he works nights now which is perfect for his internal biological clock.

Michelle, hope you are feeling better :-)

Cindy, I think I took a pic of that same Clematis . By the way, thanks for doing the chauffer stint on Sunday. I think we did pretty good for being GPS-less !

Ok, thats all for me , tomorrow its back to reality.

Kathy in Napa

P.S. Thanks bug and PM for taking the time to chat with my DS. I wondered who bumped that thread back up and what a surprise see it was Kyle ! I will explain to him the Idyll 100 post protocol in case he decides to post again

Oops, I meant to post this for an ID- this was in the hot color island bed at Wave Hill. Anyone know what it is ? It was about 3'x3' in size.

{{gwi:165516}}

Morning all,

We received another rainstorm last night but I think it was only a half an inch or so and not the biblical deluge of the day before. I've not been outside yet today so I don't know if there were any more casualties.

Michelle, I sure hope you are feeling better. Like V. I was wondering if it was some kind of food poisoning also. That's awful and a long time to be dealing with a stomach bug. Hope you are feeling better soon.

Kathy, that is some kind of Celosia spicata and a really terrific annual. I grew it last year and it looked great until frost.

Woody beautiful photos! Too funny about the re-appearing clematis. ONe never knows with those plants. I've had them disappear from wilt for a couple years then pop back up. Your wisteria is lovely! I really like that it does a summer re-bloom, something mine never does.

PM no kidding about those weeds. I don't normally have a problem but this year the crabgrass is germinating and growing at light speed.

Kathy,I already have all those plants potted up. I hate having unplanted things around this time of the year.

Babs, that must have been a hair raising experience with that lightening strike. Yikes, that happened to me once and taught me to keep my bod in the house when the thunder is booming too close.

V. beautiful pic of that lotus.

OK time to run, deadhead the daylilies and get downstairs to paint. Have a great day all,
Deanne

Good morning :-)

Would you believe, that finally had a good night sleep working....in a deep sleep...and the phone rings at 3am. Don't you hate that? Your heart starts pounding knowing it has to be some crisis if someone is calling you at that hour. My DH's Mom is in assisted living, so that was our first thought. Hello? Hello? No one there. No caller ID...restricted. Four calls in a row. *sigh* We both tried to get back to sleep but no such luck.

Kathy... thanks for the ID on the 'second' Denise and the sleep suggestion. Your plan though would net me two hours more than I sleep on my best night. [g] We also have one child who has always been a night owl to some degree, but his occupation is definitely daytime, so he does a good job of getting into the habit of those hours but occasionally, he still struggles with it. My sleep will work itself out eventually, it always does. No need for thanks for talking to Kyle...he is a very interesting conversational partner. You should be thanking him for talking to us. lol What is better than talking to young-er people? :-)

Whose sneaker is that? LOL

Woody..... I'm with you, I would just love to be able to create even a very much smaller version of that worm or frog. I enjoyed the vision of you and Misty 'talking' to each other and hanging out on the porch. :-) I really like that Wisteria Bush! It is looking very nice this time of year...bushy and not showing any of the supports. Is that Elephant Ears with your Brugs? Petunia in the pot by the stairs? I do enjoy 'mono' pots.

Yes...very scary Babs, about the lightening. We had a lightening strike in our area over the past few days...see link below.

And that will about do it for me this morning...

{{gwi:165518}}

Good Morning, Good to see that all IU5 attendees made it home safely and had a great time! I can say that attending IUs is one of my all time favorite things. You just couldn't find a better group of friends to hang out with. I'm hoping that next year I'll be able to be there.

We've been having rains here too, but nothing like yours Deanne. Sorry to hear about the storm damage. That's always so discouraging. Here I think I've only had to get out the sprinkler a couple of times all season. Even pot watering hasn't been bad. None of those days when you have to water 2-3 times per day yet.

Brad built me the shelves for my succulent collection. Makes it easier to see all of those little pots when they're on multiple levels. Denise, thanks for the offer on the a. mediopicta. I'd love to have a pup when they're ready. I mailordered a big, beautiful one late last season and it quickly rotted away on me. Don't know why, I've never had that happen with any of my other agaves :(

My mom and dad are on their way home. They left Houston yesterday. I'm glad they were leaving before Dolly's arrival. They were in Arkansas last night. It'll be good to see them. Not much else to report from MI today. Just spending the day tending to Bella and the gardens.

Really nice to hear from Babs and Monique.

Martie, glad you're recouping well.

Michelle, feeling better I hope!

Have a good one everyone, Eden

V, the lotus is exquisite. No jalapenõs for me, and I never care to think it might be food poisoning when it was food that I cooked. LOL DH wasnt affected either, but then he does have a cast iron stomach.

Kathy, I believe you asked about my urn. It isnt concrete, but a pretty good imitation. I have 2 of them. I bought them for use at my DDs wedding reception and they nicely went into the garden after that. Deanne is right on the celosia. I think its probably Purple Flamingo Feather. I have grown it for several years from seed after collecting from plants that I purchased. Its a great plant, nice foliage and makes a good cut flower and filler for me. Ive included a picture from a couple of years ago. Last year I had some with rudbeckia hirta and it made a nice fall combo. I'll have seeds this fall if anyone wants any.

I believe we saw E. Summer Wine at IU3 at a nursery. I havent seen it since. It is a beauty though.

We poured footings for the arbor last night and I hauled more mulch into the Secret Garden. Everything that isnt a planted area is getting cardboard and mulch. It was just such a weedy area before that it will need to be mulched for sometime to keep it under control. The marigold walk is starting to bloom and the gourd tepee is really growing. Ill have to get some new pictures.

Later
Michelle

Purple Flamingo Feather celosia:
{{gwi:165520}}

Hi!
Last year we had a different type of celosia which I enjoyed but didn't save seed...
{{gwi:165521}}

Someone asked what Orienpets are. The ones I know are a cross between Oriental Lily hybrids and Lilium henryii. They are large and vigorous, are powerfully perfumed, and bloom in July and August.

My day is one of those when everything is sidetracked. Is the mower being returned? Is the dishwasher man coming to install new plumbing? Will he find the place? Then there's the friend who spent 2 hours on the phone sharing problems... I really was hoping to get to exercise by 9:30 but here it is after 1PM and that hasn't been possible.

It is wet and raining every half hour and everything is droopy. I want to get weeding done. Honestly! Well "done" will never happen.

In case I sound like a whiner...it is cool and pleasant. Not even 65F!

Hi everyone! Sounds like Bug and I are having the same kind of day. I went to sleep last night with thoughts of getting up early and weeding and mulching. Wasn't to be. My phone woke me up, the contractor was on his way with a roofing crew. I didn't expect them to be coming so soon, but I never turn down willing workers. A few plants had to be moved, and a few details hammered out. Phone rang again, a friend's Dad is in the hospital and he wanted to give me an update and get some moral support. With one thing and another, it got to be 5:00, and I hadn't pulled any weeds. Oh, well, I imagine they'll be there tomorrow. If they're not, WOO HOO!

Babs, SCARY about the lightning!! We sit on the porch and watch storms all the time..yikes!

Michelle, sure hope you get over your bug soon! What a DRAG. Being sick enough to be miserable, but not sick enough to stay home in bed and be coddled....phooey! 'course, I don't know how it is at your house, but around here, Mom has to be pretty under the weather for there to be much coddling ;) Glad to hear you got rain..has the corn there pollinated yet? Ours is tasseling now, and it sounds like we'll have some sweet corn next week.

That porch picture is awesome! We won't have anything that cool after our investment, but our concrete slab with a roof is a mighty pleasant place to hang out.

LOL @ that sneaker...I LOVE it!

Woody-I think having your rings made is awesome. Our wedding bands are plain gold, and I love mine. It's shows some wear and a scratch here and there, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The neatest thing I ever saw was my step-aunt's band. They had been married so long, her ring was worn almost completely through on palm side. It got bad enough that she had to have it repaired, and she cried because she didn't WANT it good as new.

Kathy, I get the "IU garden blues" after I come in here and look at pics, then look at my gardens. I think gardeners are their own worst critics :) Thanks for not holding me back to one glass of wine, lol! Trust me, had I been there, I wouldn't have restrained myself either.

PM2-I imagine you would have LIKED to have a word or two with your mystery caller. Good that it wasn't bad news, but still...

Bug, I like that celosia! Do you recall the variety?

We had a good time yesterday at DB's house. Two of my sisters, an aunt and my DD attended. DD juggled a vacation day to attend, so the whole thing turned into a discussion of wedding plans. This DB and DD have always been really close, and it just about brought me to tears to watch the two of them. Good food, good wine, good company and flowers...IS there anything else?
DB's dog, Pearl. A spoiled little diva if ever there was one
{{gwi:165524}}

I come from a long line of good eaters :) I'm in the back with DB
{{gwi:165527}}

And, the happy bride to be with my DS. DD is yet to be fattened up :)
{{gwi:165529}}

That's it for now. As promised, auto settings and point and shoot :) I didn't get a chance to call and get in the photo class, but it's on my list for tomorrow!
Have a good evening one and all!
Brenda

Hi Everyone! I want to say Happy Birthday to Michelle, Eden, and Jerri! And whomever else I might have missed in my trying to catch up. I have not taken any pics of my garden at all this year, but the wishes are heartfelt regardless.
I had to stop in to say that it is so nice to see the pics of happy idyllers frolic through the flowers. I am glad you were all able to get together, and fun had by all.

I have been busy playing with grandbabies, helping Skip, putting in a potager, pulling weeds, weeds, and more weeds. Last week my mom, my great aunt and my sisters came over for a little garden walk. My lilies are blooming, and they do make an impact for non gardening types. Except my sister, who had no interest at all, but went along for the visit. My other sister stayed in the house. She said she had already seen everything, and didnt' want to go out in the heat:) It was fun. The potager is getting off the ground very late though. I put the plants in the ground in the morning, and by the time Skip had a minute that evening to put up a wire fence that is going inside the picket fence, ground hogs ate all of my watermelon, squash, etc flowers. Soooo no produce this year, since that was the second time they did it. Once prior to going in the ground, then a second bloom, and I had a hope. I will be ready for next year right off the bat.

We are thinking of going to Buffalo tommorrow for the Garden Walk Friday and Saturday. Skip and Dev are going too. If anyone is going, and would like to connect up, let me know. I will probably go to the gardens on Friday and then take Dev to Niagra Falls Saturday. Tentative at least.

Sue, love the new 'do. Deanne, hope your plants have recovered from the storm. Lightening struck a Black Walnut tree in my yard two weeks ago. It ran down the tree, caught our storage shed on fire. You can see a strip of bark that was peeled right down the tree. We happening to be looking out the window at the time because the storm was so fierce, so we saw/heard it almost immediately. At first I thought it was steam from the heat, but then it turned a dark gray color, like a cloud, then black, and we knew it was smoke. Skip was out with a garden hose, no shirt, and bare feet. No way was I going out there, and I told him and Dev they were crazy to go in the storm, but of course they didn't listen to me. Fire Dept showed up very quickly though, but the shed was pretty much toast. We had some things in there, but nothing that can't be replaced. No biggie, I am glad no one was out there when it happened.

Must run, someone is calling my name...

Take care!
D

Wendy! Your observations spurred big changes today, LOL! I picked up some more plant stands and moved my deck around. My brug is GORGEOUS! It's called Pink Favorite and with the thick tropical air, it is perfuming the deck! Now I'm going to move it closer to my table and treat "her" like the goddess she is, LOL!

And then out front, I bought E. Ruby Giant to replace one of the E. Sunrises, or 'sets who is moving to the back to be with more purples :) Also picked up E. Coconut Lime (or is it the other way around?) and 4 more perennials...all on sale! And then a rescue for 2 bucks from the grocery: Columbine. Oh, and the online purchase of paulownia tomentosa - Princess Tree - for SunnyD. If it doesn't live, it was only 10 bucks to have 2 shipped.

I went completely insane today.

I also designed an entrance to my wooded area to hide the canoe storage area - it has its roots from the one that V. pointed out to me at Stonecrop (will add picture as soon as I can).

PM, those kinds of phone calls are so irritating.

Brenda, Yipee on the new SIL to be! And additions! Your camera was the one I almost bought, but ultimately the decision was left to my husband since he is far pickier than I :) I think Jerri and you have the same camera now! You should trade secrets :)

I feel like I'm never gonna catch up at home. I haven't even started to wash camping clothes....I've been going non stop in the office. Seems it's getting time to move this operation to an off site location and start thinking about a real office person :) That probably won't happen too soon, but soon enough to begin the planning stages....which means new budgets and extra work for me....LE SIGH :) I am thankful for the bread it brings to our table, but I want to know when it will pay for a gardener to execute my visions, LOL!!!

I'm obviously delirious with hunger...gotta go eat, then back to upload more pix to picturetrail :) No Kathy, I haven't even read the directions yet, but I am working on something called aperture tonight as I read my "how-to" manual.

Saucy

Sounds like Saucy is opening up to her camera's possibilities.

Brenda, great photos. So nice to see you! DD looks like a long-limbed beauty.

I've sorted all my photos and edited all except the NYBG ones. I will try to get a couple posted tonight on the separate threads.

Yesterday I stopped at Menards (Midwest-based version of Home Cheapo) to look for some crushed stone, and instead ended up with a Crocosima 'Lucifer' for $3.99. I'm already wondering why I stopped at one...

Chelone, I am in outside contractor h*** right now. The crew (that was coming in April) showed up while I was gone. They've trampled the baptisia, the pot display on the deck is total chaos, and the deck lights have been broken. But of course, it's only Wednesday... And something extremely nasty was left in the weeds, and Mystic found it and rolled in it. It was not a pleasant evening.

Drema, good to hear from you.Very frightening about the lightening strike! It could have been so much worse.

I'll post this and try to get some pics up.

V.

A brief hello to all this evening, as I still bask in the afterglow of IU5. We have mild temps here, and it's already Thursday tommorow ! What could be better ? (Friday) . I played with my new Ebay reconditioned camera this evening,and wishing it had arrived before the trip. It takes way better macro shots than mine, although I still think I may have some screwy settings going on there.

Thanks for all the IDs on the Celosia- I need to give that one a try for sure.

Nice to see Dema check in and a group of pics from our Brenda.

Well, I'd best be off to close up shop around here. Later !

Kathy in Napa

Good morning all from soggy NH,

Well we got at least another inch or so of rain yesterday (could be more) after one and a half inches of rain on Tuesday and the two inches of rain on Monday. Now the weather persons are predicting the possibility of two to four inches of rain today!!!!???? Good grief! WE are now in a flood watch situation. I dont remember ever getting this much rain in July in a week before. When the storms come through its like a tropical deluge. Thank heavens this weather held off until we were home from IU5. That would have been a soggy and unpleasant weekend to say the least. Id rather deal with heat than tropical downpours. As one would expect the gardens are a soggy mess at the moment and the crab grass is growing at light speed, however the banana, colocasias and brugmansias are also growing at light speed.

It is lily time in the gardens here with most of the daylilies blooming and the Orientals and Orienpets doing their scented magic. The end of July is like an explosion of color here. I confess, its almost gaudy but I LOVE it! LOL

Kathy, definitely try that celosia. Its a winner. I added several plants of it to the borders in August last year to fill the gaps from the fading perennials and I loved it.

Saucy, pics of the rearranged deck and the Goddess Brugmansia please? Sounds like IU5 energized you. Me too!

Drema, how great to hear from you. What a scare about the lightning strike setting the shed on fire. I cant believe Skip was out in the storm after the strike trying to put the fire out. Lightening actually does strike twice in the same place. ~~ Bummer about the woodchuck damage. They are just terrors in the garden. My DB and SIL have a real problem out in the country with them and even though theyve gotten their veggie garden completely surrounded with fencing and chicken wire dug in the chucks still get in.

Brenda, terrific pics of the family. Your DD is a beauty! Oh to be that slim!

Bug, sorry for your sidetracked day. Must be so frustrating when there is so much to do in the garden.

Michelle, hope you are all better now. ~~ Does that celosia come true from seed? How difficult are they to germinate? ~~~ Im looking forward to new pics of the Secret Garden.

Eden, when are your parents going to get home? ~~ Thats a bummer that you lost that agave. Im having problems with my tuberous and Rex begonias at present. Its just been too wet! Ive been quite careful no to over water and they were doing really well but I noticed yesterday that a couple of the tuberous ones are rotting, these are plants I over wintered too, and the Rex begonias are all developing holes in the leaves. I think it just rained so hard it drilled the holes in the leaves and then with the continued wet the holes are turning black at the edges. Oh well, it seems there are always casualties in the garden that you cant anticipate.

PM, yes indeed I do hate those phone calls in the middle of the night. So sorry!

OK Im off to dead those mush puppies (daylilies) then spend a day painting. Have a good one all.

Deanne

Yahoo Idylls!!

We just arrived back after a fabulous time in DC. David's course was awesome and we had so much fun with Ruth and the little ones we extended our stay and only arrived back yesterday. I've taken a sneak peek at the Idyllunion photos and am green with envy. It's feels strange to be looking at the goings on from the outside, but love seeing as good a time as ever appears to have been had by all. The gardens are incredible. Did you decide on a destination for next year(MI)? If so, I'm booking my ticket now!!

Tonight SIL arrives for a visit from CA, joined by our neice on Friday so I need to get myself into cleaning and bed making mode. My garden went into rampant growth while we were gone so a little de-jungling is also required. However, its raining now and I have a few ginormous piles of laundry to process so its off to the salt mines.

Talk to you all later

Mary

Arrrgghh!!!!! What the heck is going on with this blasted weather. So now not only are we getting the biblical deluges predicted they are coming in with 50mph wind gusts! You can just imagine the kind of damage that is doing. I've been darting out from cover to pick up one container then another gets blown down. I did LOL because one of the pots on a wheeled dolly was blown four feet across the patio. Good grief! OK back to damage control.
Deanne

Oh Deanne, that's horrible. I need to come back and help with container duty. ;)
I'm at work today after the 'pain management' procedures. Unfortunately it gets worse before it gets better. LOL
It will take all day just to catch up with email.

Jerri

At 7PM tonight give your dog or kitty a cuddle and an extra treat in appreciation of how much they mean to you and what they add to your quality of life. Katie will be moving on to something better right around that time. She's been eating tripe all week, having a bully stick every single afternoon, and just inside from hot dogs with her afternoon break. She thinks she's already in heaven, but feels like living hell to me :( I have to let her go before she melts again, and goes out in pain. She's going out with some sparkle still in her eyes but not quite making it to her 7th birthday.

(Adding this here so I don't drag down the new thread. But knowing what a pet loving bunch you are, I need to share.)

O, Cynthia.........................
so many hugs and fond memories to guide you both.

Katie, I never met you but I wish I had had that privilege. I know that you meant a lot to Cynthia and that you will be twirling like mad when you see her again.

Love, V.

Cynthia,

I'm so sorry. I'll be thinking of you and Katie. You've given her a wonderful life. Hugs to you both.

Eden

I am so sorry, Cynthia. Nothing in the world is harder than the decision you've made. I've done it several times and it never gets easier.

I will definitely deliver a beating to Wrecks at 7-ish.

Cynthia,
I'm so sorry. I know she means so much to you. Just know that you made her life a joy.

Hugs from Michelle & Jaden

Hugs from Saucy, too. You are such a kind person to see and nurture Katie's sparkle! I am thinking of you both tonight.

Saucy

Gosh Cynthia...I agree with Eden...you have been wonderful to Katie. A dog couldn't have asked for more and I am sure that you are making the best decision for her. I feel sad with you and wish it were not necessary. Thanks for sharing her with us. I have sincerely enjoyed all the stories and photos of her. A beautiful girl!! :-) :-)

Cynthia and furkids,
I am so sorry. There is not a word I could say that would help at this time. There are many Idylls who are shedding tears with you. Hugs to you all.

Jerri

Cynthia,
So sad to hear about Katie. You were lucky to find each other, and you know that these past couple of years she has had a ball with you! I especially remember the birthday costumes, and the many other outfits you so lovingly made with style and panache. Adorable.
Drema

Cynthia, I'm so terribly sorry to hear your sad news. Hugs to you and all your furry family. Katie was well loved.

Deanne

Cynthia, I'm so sorry about Katie. You were lucky to have each other the last few years.
Monique

Although it was only bandwidth carrying Katie's irrepressible charm to me, it was easy to see what you two meant to each other and how you struggled to keep her comfortable. You are both adorable creatures. Peace to you both...

Welcome Katie!

{{gwi:165531}}

Your new friend,

Zak

Hugs to Cynthia, and peaceful journey to Katie.

Kathy in Napa

Say hi to Charlotte for me Whirly Twirly Rooing Girl! You've been a delight to Cynthia and all of us.
'bug

((Cynthia)) - Katie was such a pleasure to 'see' even from this distance so I'm sure there's a gaping hole in your life at the moment.

Cynthia, I hope it makes you smile to think of Katie wearing a lovely hat, twirling and frolicking with Zak, Charlotte, and the many other beloved pets that have gone before her. Thinking of you today.

-W

((Cynthia)) I'm so very sorry. You and Katie were both blessed to have had each other, and I have enjoyed getting to know her through you. I can just imagine her hooking up with all the other Idyll pets and sharing stories about their crazy humans. My Guido and a host of others will look out for her. Be at peace, Katie.
Brenda