A Story - "Prepared" and Perennials for Alkaline Soil - Phlox, Yarrow, Centaurea, Asters , Dianthus, Lilac

 A Story

Prepared

It all started with the Covid pandemic. Dan didn't just go down a rabbit hole.  He went down a mineshaft. The world became a scary, unpredictable place to him. The Youtubers that attracted him fueled his anxiety. Soon he was stocking up on food to feed them for five years.  He took most of his money out of the bank, just leaving enough to pay the regular bills.  After much nail-biting research, he decided to buy silver rather than gold. He built a secret storage space in the basement with a bookcase in front to disguise it and stored the silver in it.  His fear of dangerous substances in food made eating precarious and he began to lose significant weight.

His wife, Gloria, who didn't share his world view, felt him drifting away into his delusional world. He got angry when she questioned his decisions and finally she gave up trying to reason with him. He was sure something awful was about to happen.

Turns out Dan was right. One day when he was out buying more supplies, Gloria raided his silver cache and disappeared, ready to start a new life.

I am thinking about my new garden.  My old garden had clay soil on the acidic side which was good for lots of plants.  However, I didn't have many full sun locations.  In my new home, I will have lots of sun but the soil is on a limestone base so it will be alkali. I had originally wanted some roses but they like rich acidic soil which is not  what I have here.  However, phlox should grow here so I will get a couple of them in the spring.

Yarrow will be perfectly happy in the poorer soil. It will be less likely to flop over because the garden will be in full sun and the soil is light so it will be on the dry side.

I ordered a couple of asters - one purple, one magenta.  They are very tough and are great pollinators late in the season.

Centaurea prefers alkaline soil and full sun so I'm hoping for a good show with that. Easy to grow and a hardy perennial.

Also on my list is dianthus. I ordered a short bushy type and I plan on starting some carnations. I gave up trying to grow dianthus at my old garden but perhaps they will do well here. I really like the cinnamon scent of carnations.

Lilacs do well almost anywhere that's sunny and where the soil isn't too rich. They prefer alkaline soil over acidic, but they can grow in either.  I already have a couple of nice bushes  on this property and judging by the dried seed pods, the bushes  bloomed well last year.  

It will be an adventure to begin a new garden. 

A Story -"The Surgery" and Snowdrops

A Story

The Surgery

Peter had been feeling more tired than usual and occasionally had some chest pain, but both he and Brenda were surprised when tests showed that he had serious plaque build-up in his heart.  They had been eating lots of vegetables and lean meat, and walked every day.  The cardiologist said that often the cholesterol problem had a genetic base. However, the doctor explained that the necessary bypass surgery was pretty routine these days and that after the recovery time of a few months, Peter would feel better than he had for a couple of years.

"At least we caught it before you had a heart attack," Brenda said trying to find a silver lining.

"We'll have to cancel our trip to Portugal," Peter replied.

Brenda suppressed a sigh. They had been saving up for a few years to go to Portugal and now the trip would have to be postponed. Realistically, they would have to wait a year to make sure Peter was fully recovered. She didn't relish the restricted life of the next several months.  It wouldn't just be missing out on the holiday.  She knew that life would be quiet and boring while he recuperated.  

The surgery was scheduled quickly and their days were filled with appointments. Peter was nervous, agitated, and irritable. Brenda wished he would be more positive so this pre-op time wouldn't be so stressful.  There would be plenty of real pain after the operation. Let him fuss and complain then.

The day of the surgery the surgeon spoke briefly with them, reassuring them with the confidence that came from thousands of successful procedures.  Peter relaxed, and even joked with Brenda. She gave him a big smile and kissed him firmly. 

"See you soon, sweetheart."

But lightning strikes without warning. Peter died on the operating table.

 Snowdrops are fairy flowers that come up extra early, even before all the snow has melted.  They tide us over until the bright purples, yellows and pinks of the other spring bloomers come along.

Snowdrops are planted in the fall.  They can tolerate shade as long as they get sun in the spring. They bloom reliably for years and will slowly naturalize making a nice big patch.  However, they are not invasive.  Some bulb fertilizer sprinkled around them after blooming and again in the fall will ensure the plants are healthy and robust.

Two Stories - "No Place for a Baby" , "Christmas Joy" and Winter Scene

A Story

No Place for a Baby

Little Marcia liked the colourful Christmas decorations.  One house had flashing lights.  Another had an inflatable Santa that chortled as you neared.

A miniature stable was on a snowy lawn.  Marcia took a closer look.  Inside was a mother, father and baby, but the baby didn't have a crib.  It was lying on straw in a trough.  A donkey and sheep were eating the straw.  Some dirty shepherds were the touching the baby.  Three men in fancy robes looked scary.  Marcia shuddered.

Poor little baby.  Why would someone put this up for Christmas?

Santa and sparkly lights were so much better.

                                                    Snowy Scene.  

                                           The bay is mostly frozen.

Another Story

Christmas Joy

In the frosty cold, we helped Dad cut down a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.  Its spicy aroma wafted around us as we decorated it with mismatched ornaments that shimmered with multi-coloured reflections from the tree lights.

Later, giggling with excitement, we wrapped our home-made presents: knitted mittens, hand-painted calendars.

At the Christmas eve church service, I almost fainted as the glowing candles used up most of the oxygen.  Beloved, joyful carols revived me.

Christmas day was warm and cozy as we opened presents, played in the snow, and ate turkey dinner.

Heavenly arms embraced us as we fell asleep.

A Story - "Fly on the Wall" - Ring-billed Seagull

 Fly on the Wall

It was the beginning of the new season of the neighbourhood social hour. Darker days and damp chilly weather were pushing people inside. About a dozen guests were either perched on stiff dining room chairs or sinking into oversized couches or slithering on a shiny leather lazy-boy.

The hostess offered an assortment of drinks for any taste: beer, wine, non-alcoholic beer, soft drinks, tea. Nibbles were picked up with tongs and nestled into azure-blue glass mini bowls. A couple of floor lamps cast a dim light over the living room. No one was in the spotlight.

A couple of extroverts carried the conversation as newcomers to the group tried to see where they might fit in . Like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle first attempts to connect didn't always work. Alcohol helped to blur the awkwardness for some of the people.

A nondescript senior woman sipped her tea and studied the others, noticing slight tensions here and there, little bursts of friendliness, maneuverings to get some attention. She joined in when necessary but mostly she blended into the background.

It was interesting to be the fly on the wall. More fodder for her stories.

A ring-billed seagull in Lake Ontario catching some waves on a bright autumn day.

A Story - "Mousetrap" and Burning Bush and Eastern Red Cedar

Mousetrap

The November days were shrinking and growing damp. The young mouse scuttered below the low bushes and approached the older bungalow. She knew where the small spaces were where a mouse could squeeze through and get to the shelter of the garage. Her mother had shown her the way to get inside last fall.

Tonight she  wiggled her way into the garage where she could look for food. In a corner was a metal garbage can that smelled tantalizingly of sunflower seeds.  The young mouse leapt for the handles and then managed to get to the top of the can.  She chewed at the lid but her teeth weren't strong enough to get through. 

 Giving up on the seeds, she dropped to the floor and started sniffing along the base of the wall. She found a chocolate bar wrapper that still had a tiny bit of chocolate on it. She licked it bare.

Then her nose caught a whiff of peanut butter. In plain sight, was a hefty blob of it. She got a hit of dopamine and crept forward.  All her efforts so far had yielded little but here was a chunk of food ready to be gobbled up without any struggle.

But peanut butter on a trap is never free.
 

November can be a drab month so the sight of a burning bush (euonymus alatus) is cheering to see. The bushes can grow to around 6' tall and wide. The best colour is produced by a bush that is in full sun.  It is deciduous so the bush is bare during the winter and will sprout its new green leaves in the spring. During the summer, it just stays as a green shrub. It is hardy in zone 4  but can be invasive especially in the warmer zones (5 and above).

It has shiny little red fruit which are poisonous as is the rest of the plant.  However, some birds eat them.

Eastern red cedar is actually a juniper - juniper virginiana. It is a tough small tree native to North America that can grow in poor, dry soil. It can be the first tree to establish in disturbed ground.  It grows slowly and can live for a hundred years or more.  The blue seeds are not edible for people but birds and small animals  eat them.

A Story - "Pick-axe Hard" - Red Leaves and Pickaxe for Loosening Hard Soil

A Story

Pick-axe Hard

"It had been a dry summer and the untended garden space had solidified into unyielding hardpan.  

Carol's mother, Margaret, lived overseas, far from family.  She stubbornly refused to move closer.

A regular shovel wasn't going to make much headway with the garden soil.  It called for serious action. A pick-axe would be needed.

 Margaret wandered around her house, dusting old photographs, rearranging decorative items bought years ago.

The pick-axe easily dug into the earth.  The heavy sharp point loosened the soil and any interfering rocks.  

The heart attack that landed Margaret in the hospital had come without warning. Painful and earthquaking.

The blade of the pick-axe dug a wider swath and prepared the flower bed for the spring bulbs.

After Margaret was stable, Carol made arrangements for her to come to her home.

In May, the daffodils sprouted and bloomed their cheerful yellow trumpets.

Margaret sat in a garden chair and couldn't help enjoying the daffodils. When her granddaughter came to visit, she drew her grandmother a picture of the daffodils with a heart above her signature.  Their relationship was blossoming."

 

When confronted with very hard soil, I usually use a pick-axe to loosen it up. Because a pick-axe is fairly heavy, I don't have to lift it much above the soil surface, only 8-10", for it to easily go into the soil. I start by digging with the sharp pointed end, and then continue with the blade end. I find it much easier than trying to dig the hard soil with a shovel or a garden fork.

A pick-axe is also great for grubbing out shrubs and small trees.  The blade is powerful enough to cut through the roots and then I can pull up the whole plant so it's less likely to reshoot. The pick-axe is not a fancy high tech or new tool but it is very useful.

I planted my daffodils and will be happy to see them next spring.

A Story - "When the Festivals Covered Tears" and a Lovely Fall View

A Story

When the Festivals Covered Tears

After Dad passed away, Mom's loneliness drove her to festivals: musical, cultural, gardening, fireworks.  Any kind would do.  She'd return with souvenirs, food containers, posters.  Her apartment began to fill with festival bling.

As her apartment grew messier and more crowded, she stopped having visitors.  When I suggested decluttering, she got angry.  Her collecting escalated to hoarding. Her living space became dirty and unsafe.

When Mom died, I ruthlessly purged her possessions.  I scrubbed every room spotless and tastefully arranged the pieces of furniture I had kept.  I put up a few colourful festival posters as a tribute to her festival visiting days.

When visitors came over, they exclaimed," Her apartment is beautiful. The festival posters reflect her vibrant life."

I kept my comments to myself.  They didn't need to know Mom had lived in squalor.

 

A beautiful view on a warm October day. The fall has been very dry but it is hard to complain when the sky is so blue, and the trees are turning colour. Soon I'll be planting some daffodils in a blank slate of a garden. I'll be happy to see their cheerful yellow blooms next spring.