Mini Hostas

I have a thing for mini hostas. I started putting a few under this Japanese Maple tree a few years ago, but I'm running out of room since I also stuck in this succulent border last year, and they actually survived the winter. I might have to take out that azalea that is taking up so much room.  I bought two new mini hostas this spring in PA, Chartreuse Wiggles, and  Love Pat.  Mini hostas have the cutest names. I think the little hosta on the left is Mouse Ears. Who could resist a plant called Mouse Ears, right?


I have noticed that several of my bigger hostas in the back perennial garden are getting leaf burn. When I planted them years ago, there was a big goldenrain tree there to shade them, but a few years ago we had that removed and now those hostas are in full sun, not the best for them.

Can you guess which one is Chartreuse Wiggles? The other is Love Pat.

We're supposed to be getting some severe storms this morning that are moving in from the west. It's hard to believe because it's so calm and sunny right now.

Pine Cone Sculpture

Look at this gigantic pine cone--made entirely from old shovels. Now if you had about 100 old garden shovels to take apart, wouldn't this be a cool garden sculpture? I love it.  (Image via Pinterest.)

Ironman 70.3

Ready for swim, 7 am

We had quite a busy weekend, leaving on Saturday morning for Cambridge, Md., a little town on the Choptank River on the Eastern Shore, where Walt was participating in the Ironman 70.3 EagleMan Triathalon on Sunday.  We first went to the race expo to pick up his race packet, then to the race course to drop off his bike in a fenced off transition area. This is where the racers keep their bikes, and all their gear, and where they prepare for each leg of the race. The race was a 1.2 mile swim,  56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run. After doing all the race prep, we relaxed by the pool of our hotel for awhile, overlooking the river,  having a glass of wine (me), and people watching. Then it was carb loading for dinner--lots of pasta--and early to bed. We were up at 4:30 am, catching a shuttle bus to the race. The race started at 6:45 am with about 6 different swim waves--there were 2400 people in the race.  Walt started his swim about 7:10 am, and he was off. It had been pouring rain for the previous few days, but it was cloudy and calm Sunday morning, thank goodness. It's pretty amazing watching all these people at 6 in the morning, so pumped up and excited.

Hard to get a good picture of swimmers, so far out, but he's in there somewhere

There are lots of boats and kayaks in the water watching the swimmers. I didn't see anyone get pulled out, but during the afternoon I talked to a woman who did--she had swallowed too much water, had to be pulled out, and couldn't finish the race. After the swimmers come out of the water,  they run to the transition area, take off their wetsuits, and get ready for the bikes.

They bike all through the countryside, so I didn't get any good pictures of the bikes. Walt said it was pretty flat, but really, really hot. By mid-morning, the sun was out and it was hot and humid. Walt said when he first got off the bike, he could hardly walk, let alone run, but after a few minutes he had his legs back!

It's always a relief to see him come down the last stretch, and I even caught a picture of him going through the finish. He didn't collapse or throw up or anything (a lot of people do), so I'd say he looked pretty good! After the race, volunteers immediately put cold towels on their necks and heads, and hand them bottles of water or gatorade,  put the medal around their necks, and help the racers who need more help. There is a lot of food available for runners,  and everyone just lies around on the grass recuperating and rehydrating, and getting some food.

Walt going through finish line

Leaning to the right a little, but smiling

After four months of pretty intense training, he did great. He says this is his last race, but I've heard that before. I'm very proud of my triathlete.

All done!

Friday Fleurs: Larkspur and Roses

Garden at Dusk

I like to sit on my front stoop at dusk,  amidst my perennial garden, and watch my neighborhood wind down for the day. Dog walkers,  bike riders,  the sounds of the kids playing basketball in the cul de sac,  my neighbor watering her flowers, all signs of a summer evening. As I sat there and looked around at my plants, I liked the perspective I had of the garden--anemones spilling over the path, the lavenders beginning, the baptisia looming over it all,  the larkspur in the distance, my surprise foxglove, the daisies and astilbe in bud, and my little pocket of herbs.

Annoying Hoses

When we were in Lancaster County last month for plant buying weekend, we were standing in line at one of the big nurseries there looking at these Pocket Hoses that were on display. The cashier chimed in and said she had bought one and it was so fantastic. Well, we had just been talking about how hoses are such a hassle,  so heavy and unwieldy with their kinks and tangles, so we all fell for her endorsement, and each of us bought a Pocket Hose.  Of course this was worth a try! Only $19.99!

Last week I finally tried the hose out and I have to say I was underwhelmed, to say the least.  First, all the connections are cheap plastic and it immediately started to leak at the faucet end and at the end where I attached a spray nozzle.  It's kind of weird when the water starts to flow through and it expands and straightens out. It is lightweight, and it's nice to be able to just scrunch it up when you are done and put it in a corner or in a pot. But it's not very efficient when when water is spraying out of both ends. And as I read reviews online, it seems they tend to burst after using a few times.  Oh well, back to the regular hose. Why can't someone invent the perfect hose? Anybody have a recommendation?

Garden Statuary

I am a fan of garden statuary and most garden tchotchkes in general. Some people think they are tacky but I think they give a garden personality. I'm not talking about garden gnomes here or pink flamingos.  I have a few small concrete things, a rabbit and a frog, a hedgehog. I do have a green gazing globe, but I make no apologies, I love my gazing globe, I had it before they even became popular.  Of course you can have too much. I don't think I am there yet, though. I have friends who will tell me when I get to that point.  I really like the expensive concrete statuary, the classical types. I am on the lookout for a good Buddha, not too big, not too jolly, and a St. Francis or a St. Fiacre as well. Now St. Francis and St. Fiacre are easy to find, but I am so pick-y. Not too big, not too small...I want one that is just right. And he has to have a good face...

Last week after work one day I stopped at a garden market near my work called Sam's. It is on a corner on one of the busiest streets in Northern Virginia, but it it looks the same as it probably has for the past 40 years. They have the best collection of garden statuary I have seen around here, and I like to stop in once in awhile and check out their inventory. You just browse among all the statuary on a big shady lot, as the cars go whizzing by. It's a little sanctuary on Route 7. They have wonderful stone pots and urns, planters,  tons of bird baths, columns, fountains, benches, and all kinds of statuary--animals, buddhas, busts, religious, etc.  I didn't buy anything, but I love the looking. Oh, and they have nice plants too, an especially good collection of shade perennials.

Sam's

St. Fiacre

Great planters

Loved her

Lots of birdbaths, I like the square one

Many years ago, Walt and the kids gave me the statue below for Mother's Day--and it was from Sam's. I've probably had her for 20 years, so these are made to last. It's my favorite ornament in my garden.

Monday Morning in the Garden

Backyard rose

It's such a great time for the garden right now, everything is looking so lush and green. We had a crazy thunderstorm last night, with terrible thunder and lightning, but everything seems okay this morning. I worked in the garden a lot this weekend, tearing out a lot of Boston ivy that was threatening to take down the fence. I continued with staking some plants, and tying up my autumn clematis along the gate. I also trimmed back all the catmint and candytuft that borders my front garden, attempting to keep it neat and tidy. I am also overrun with lily of the valley in the front bed, so even though I hated to do it, I tore out a lot of that, too (I have a lot in other areas too, where I am happier to let it spread).

My styrax tree is blooming too, and looks so pretty, even as the flowers fall to the ground.

Styrax

 And the hostas and ferns are so happy right now, before the really hot days of summer begin to crisp them up.

Hellebore, Hosta, and Fern

And a random foxglove popped up in the front perennial garden. I haven't had foxgloves for a couple of years, but this one must have been hibernating and decided to bloom this year. I love foxgloves, but our hot and humid summers are not their favorite climate. When I deadhead flowers like this,  I usually shred them right in the garden. I have had a lot of plants re-seed in this way, and results in surprises like this one.

Foxglove

Suspect, by Robert Crais

I have been in a reading lull lately, unable to get into a book, let alone finish one.  Don't know why I am in this mode but it is very disconcerting. I keep bringing home books, picking them up, and putting them down. Robert Crais is a favorite "go to" author when I want something easy and readable and distracting.  After I brought this book home, I realized it wasn't Crais's usual characters of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, but a new character, Scott James.  I was going to return it but Walt had picked it up and liked it, so I decided to give it a try. And I  finished it!  And I did enjoy it. Scott James is an LA detective who is recovering from serious gunshot wounds some months earlier in a mob hit in which his partner Stephanie was murdered. He is trying to deal with that trauma and get back on the job and ends up working with the LAPD K-9 unit. He is matched with Maggie, a German shepherd  who was wounded by a Taliban sniper in Afghanistan who also killed her partner, Pete.  LAPD isn't sure if Maggie can work again as she is suffering from PTSD. Together  James and Maggie slowly begin to work together and on the sly begin hunting down clues about the night when Scott and his partner were shot.  Of course they forge a strong relationship which helps both of them to heal mentally and physically . We even get the perspective of Maggie, as several chapters are told from her viewpoint. It was really interesting to read about how K-9 dogs are trained and about the relationship they form with their handler.  If it sounds a little corny, I thought so too, but actually the book was quite good and I would call it a very good read. I wouldn't be surprised if Scott and Maggie reappear in another book by Crais. He sure has a way of creating believable, likable characters, even a dog.

Kousa Dogwood

My kousa dogwood is a finicky thing. I don't know if this is typical or not, but mine blooms every other year. I have tried to research this to see if it is a peculiarity of the kousa, but I can't find anything that suggests that.  Some gardening books say a drought year can cause fewer blooms, but mine seems to bloom regularly every other year.  But happily this is a blooming year and it is really beautiful right now.  You can see from my garden journal that it had no flowers in 2012, but tons of flowers in 2011! So strange, is it just part of my tree's life cycle?

There is something so restful and calming about white flowers in the garden. I love how they look against all that green foliage. Someday I am going to have an all white garden somewhere.  But for now I better just enjoy my kousa's blooms because I probably won't see them again until 2015.