Wondrous works Monday, Oct 27 2014 

Esperanza and gardening and Julie's Pond and Landscapes , acairfearann 17:38

‘Will you cherish the wondrous works of God, and protect the beauty and integrity of all creation?’

This was the text of a resolution passed by the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut on Saturday as a proposed sixth baptismal question (it now has to be run through the General Convention twice before being officially adopted, so 2018 at the earliest). As a lay delegate to the convention, this resolution was one of several that I had a particular interest in.

Those of you who know me, know that I have very little patience with the ‘green’ movement. And when this question was posed last year, it had serious problems with obvious political overtones: ‘trigger words’ and very little Scriptural grounding. A year later, and the kinks were worked out. It now reflects the fundamental truth which has been so often warped: the universe is wondrous and we are part of it.

So what does this have to do with this blog? Well today, I spent time working on the annual cutting of unwanted brush up on the house lot, Holly spent time working in the garden, and Jamie spent time cutting the trees in the Spring Lot that I had marked for removal.

The thing is, the ongoing thinning of the Spring Lot, which will eventually result in a towering* grove of Maple, Oak, Beech, Black Birch, and Ash is a long running project. Its final glory won’t be evident for about a century or so. But in a century or so, God willing, someone will have a stand of forest giants. As I have enjoyed the trees that are giants now, so will they. A cathedral of trees and a pond caught at the break of the hill, where the sunset falls. I won’t see them, and the land almost certainly won’t still be in the family. But that does not matter. It will be there in glory.

 

*when the little guys, that don’t even hit the lower branches of the canopy are 50 feet in height…..

 

Asters Friday, Oct 10 2014 

gardening and Landscapes , acairfearann 22:50

Even following a dry season, the fall asters are much happier with the shasta daisies brought under control. As are the blueberries, which had a nice touch of red to balance the dusky blue. The tall dry seed heads are the remains of the pink aster; the tall ones to the left are the goldenrods. Of course, what really makes the garden work is the bench!

017

 

New garden picture Saturday, Oct 4 2014 

gardening and Projects , acairfearann 10:13

008

A new view! From left to right: inkberry, ninebark, russian cyprus, witch-hazel, itea (hiding), enkianthus.  The bright yellow in the mid ground are some chrysanthemums, to the right of them are the azaleas and double-file viburnums; the rose garden (which will be quite happy to have more sun) is mid-ground left.

 

Bleeding trees! Wednesday, Oct 1 2014 

gardening and Landscapes and Modern Photos , , , acairfearann 22:13

and buildings!

Well not really, actually. The woodbine (virginia creeper) is particularly happy this year. These pictures don’t do justice to the one growing in the hemlock at all, nor to festooned chimney on the little house (not visible in the first picture). But take note of the gingko tree in the background, the woodbine has quite quietly established itself in it.

009

I know, a bit overgrown…

013

Woodbine in the gingko:

012

011

 

Hmmm Tuesday, Sep 30 2014 

gardening acairfearann 21:17

It is great to buy bulbs in June (when the early bird discount applies and you can see all the holes in the spring planting) and then completely lose the email invoice. I wonder did I? or did I just think about it? If I did, what are they? And when might they show up? I could call the company but that would take all the fun out of it!

What I do know, is I had a Plan.  Capitals please note.  Back when the ground wasn’t baked rock hard, when I remembered what needed more where, when I wasn’t rather too busy with other things, and beyond behind on still others, and so forth.

Sometimes gardens get ahead of one. This actually isn’t a bad thing.  If they didn’t attempt to get out of control, aided and abetted by the gardener, we probably would never do anything to them. We would just sit there and smell the roses.

 

The old apple tree Saturday, Sep 27 2014 

gardening and Landscapes and Modern Photos acairfearann 19:31

065

along with woodland sunflower. Actually, not that old a tree, planted about 1964.

This photo was taken about a month ago, we are now into the dry and dusty phase of autumn. The colors are spectacular at least!

 

Watch it with the feet! Sunday, Sep 21 2014 

gardening , acairfearann 20:30

042

A denizen of the woods. He and his kind have vanished into the leaves for the most part now; but I did disturb the cutest (and very put out) little tree frog the other day…in the pole beans! I had quite the time picking around him.

 

Now what? Thursday, Sep 18 2014 

gardening and Landscapes acairfearann 15:15

One very dead Japanese Maple removed, possibly killed drought/winter stress/serious rot and hopefully not Verticillum Wilt*

001

Those leaves aren’t supposed to be a crispy brown.

But now what? The space has an entirely different feel to it, the beanpole locust in the background is suddenly prominent, as is the Sugar Maple. The paths, which bent at the tree, don’t quite make sense anymore and there is a whole lot more sun, and more distance.  This will take some consideration.

001

 

*The state lab isn’t exactly helpful on the subject: ‘We can’t test dead wood’…well, the whole tree is dead, so what exactly can you test?

 

Grapes Tuesday, Sep 16 2014 

gardening acairfearann 20:56

A lot of home grown produce tastes better than that from the store: garlic, onions, squash, chard, etc, etc.*  I didn’t expect the difference to be so great with grapes though.  Silly that.

Our young Concord Seedless set a fair number of bunches this year. Now granted, they are the size of garden peas, but the taste! Very close (and this year better than) the wild Concord.  Hard to describe, but not anything like the grapes one finds in the store. Spicy and sweet, but without that overload of Sugar.  It is the spice which is missing from the store bought grapes.

I suppose that they would make excellent jelly, and if the bunches were full size, that would be an option.  But seeing as they are small….I’ll blame their disappearance on the catbirds 🙂

 

*Not always: sweet potatoes have failed rather badly for us. As, bizarrely, do cucumbers. Spinach is an utter disaster.

 

The Yellow Pot Monday, Sep 15 2014 

gardening and Landscapes acairfearann 21:47

086

I know, I know, no content here! The big garden and its pot, amazing how a focal point brings it all together.

 

« Previous Page — Next Page »