Musings

This row of aged maples look like sentinels, protecting the garden. I like the visual vertical repetition of their trunks with the fence posts. The fence is necessary to discourage raccoons and deer, plus rabbits and skunks.

In today’s news, we did an assortment of chores, including mowing (by the Mowing Man) and making more rhubarb sauce (moi).

Title is the genus of each plant species mentioned.

Posted at 9:39 PM | 1 Comment »

Studying the calendar, I realized we’re 42% of the way through 2024, yet I’m still trying to internalize that it is indeed 2024.

See that lupin to the right of center with the tipped over inflorescence? That’s rather like me, still trying to get with the program.

Posted at 9:32 PM | Comments Off on Taking direction

Yellow goat’s beard. A Tragopogon species, either Tragopogon pratensis or Tragopogon dubius.

Dandelion, of course. A Taraxacum species, probably, Taraxacum officinale.

Both are in the Asteraceae family. Also, dandelions are apomictic, meaning the offspring are genetically identical to the parent—it’s an asexual reproduction without fertilization.

The other important number from today is thirty-four.

Posted at 9:09 PM | Comments Off on Two Asteraceae

This morning was dreary after night-rain, and I walked the beach in my rubber boots. I very much liked this contrasting dark-light sand at the shore, as well as the not-quite identical repeating pattern.

Our Sweet Neighbor joined us for dinner, and brought us flowers! I call them lilies-of-the-coffee-table. As you can see, the gloomy morning turned into a sunny rest-of-the-day.

Posted at 8:58 PM | Comments Off on If you don’t like the weather wait a few minutes

These fisher-folk trolling on the lake reminded me of many paintings, like a Winslow Homer piece, although I think he did sea settings, not a lake like this.

This apple was just so beautiful I had to include a shot of it. Friends kept it through the winter wrapped in newspaper in a crate with many other apples in a cool spot. Some made it, some didn’t. This one is spectacular, and as firm and luscious as it was when it was put into storage.

Posted at 7:55 PM | Comments Off on Evocative

Northbound this time of the year in North America is a journey back in spring. In southern Michigan we found our first lilacs in bloom, this small type with a confusing shape to the plant and an unmistakable scent…our first lilacs of 2024.

We also spotted our first Great Lake of the year. We are so fortunate have a room on the beach facing Lake Huron—this is our view. The beach is infested with some sort of beach flies (not mayflies), if you trust my identification. The seagulls are flocking to the insects, so there’s more drama than the waves crashing on land.

Posted at 9:52 PM | Comments Off on Firsts

Here in North America, gardenias are non-native plants, so maybe I shouldn’t enjoy them so much; however, the heavenly scent cannot be overlooked…over-smelled?

Posted at 9:08 PM | Comments Off on In the moment

The gardenias are out. The best thing is to stand by them, close my eyes, and inhale.

Posted at 8:59 PM | Comments Off on Heavenly

Today was sunny and windy, which is pretty much all you need to know to deduce this photo is from the other day.

Posted at 11:00 PM | Comments Off on Coming up roses

My horticulturally talented neighbor-ess has both acid (blue) and base/neutral (pink) soil under this bush. Also, the chemical soup requires aluminum, I’ve read. You’ll have to look it up yourself, if you want more details.

Posted at 10:28 PM | Comments Off on Ph (no D)