A Story -" Glasses in Peril" and Silver Dollar, Sedum, Miniature Roses and Honeylocust Tree

A Story

Glasses In Peril

"The waiting room at the small hospital was only half full as it was almost midnight. Janet was able to find a seat away from the other patients. Across the narrow room was a large man with a white beard slouching in his chair who was fast asleep.

An ambulance had driven up to the hospital not long before, and the patients knew that would mean a longer wait to be seen by the doctor. They scrolled their phones, chatted with their loved ones or closed their eyes trying to doze off. 

The large man continued to sleep.  His army boots were polished to a glistening sheen but his army pants looked worn.  His light-weight jacket was open revealing a faded T-shirt with a picture of a moose.  His arms and legs moved erratically as they played out the action of his dreams. One of his jerky movements sent his glasses tumbling out of his jacket pocket onto the floor close to his feet. Janet stared at them in their precarious position.  She didn't want them to get broken but she also didn't want to suddenly wake up the man by reaching for them.  She didn't know how he would react to a sudden intervention. Her gaze kept monitoring his feet and the glasses. A sideways flick of his foot sent the glasses further away from him but not quite out of range. His feet shuffled again coming dangerously close to his eyewear. Could he afford new glasses if these ones were broken? She tried to focus on her book.

After a couple of hours, he roused, sat up and noticed that his glasses were on the floor. He picked them up and put them back in his pocket. Janet relaxed and read her book.  A minute or two later, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him slowly rub his eyes and then settle down again in the chair, this time with his feet propped up on the table in the corner. The glasses were apparently safe.

Janet's name was finally called.  As she was leaving the waiting room, she heard the man moving more dramatically and then she heard a plink. She turned and saw the glasses on the floor just by his foot."

The silver dollar plant (lunaria) really catches the sun and sparkles. The papery disks hold the flat seeds. This plant is a biennial.  It spreads around on its own but isn't aggressive. Any unwanted plants are easily pulled out.

A pretty woodland vignette with the morning sun lighting up the silver dollar plants.

 

In late May to early June, the silver dollar plants bloom with clusters of dark pink flowers.

When we moved last year, I debated whether  I would bring any plants with me.  I decided not to except I plucked off three stems of sedum and stuck them in the ground when I got to the new house. Now they have rooted well and have made a nice clump in the rock garden. Such an easy plant. The bees really like it, too.

The miniature roses are still blooming. I like the classic shape of the barely open one in the top photo. There is some powdery mildew on parts of the plants but I am not fusing about that at this time of year. Earlier in the season, I sprayed the mildewy spots with milk which works well to get rid of it. However, if the weather is right for it, the mildew will come back. The little roses had a bit of mildew on them when they came from the greenhouse . Next year, I'll be more aggressive with the milk treatment.  You can also use a mild solution of baking soda and water. The purpose is to put an alkali coating on the leaves as the mildew can't grow on that.

One of my neighbours has this honeylocust tree. It goes a lovely yellow in the fall. The fine leaves are attractive and blow nicely in the breeze.