Make It Happen

Summer '08 container garden

I've been working on my container garden (is it plural if there are multiple containers?  Not sure.)

Pictures are in the folder marked "Summer 2008 garden".

Catching Up - kinda

Today marks the third day at home, after being gone for 12 of the prior 14 days.

First leg was up to NY (fun before work) and NJ (just work):  my boss, just prior to resigning, asked me to come up to discuss the state of the department and what more my team could contribute, since we're succeeding in our current agenda.  Of course, once he resigned, it quickly turned into a four day swamp of politics, positioning and posturing at its Dilbert-esque best...  The good part was heading up the Saturday before all the meetings began, so I had some time for fun & adventure.  I visited my milliner, so my two winter hats could be properly sized - and managed to order two spring/summer ones while I was at it!  A variety of shopping and a few lovely restaurants capped off the weekend quite nicely.

Home for a day - just long enough to rotate the business clothes out of the suitcase and replace them with casual day wear, before jaunting off to the second leg of the journey:

San Francisco with my older sister & nephew for six days.   My subscription to Zagat's  served us well, as we were able to explore several really good restaurants in between all the shopping and turista stuff we did.

We had a big time - more on that later - but by the time I came home Friday, I was glad to be coming off the road for a bit of rest.

Of course, since I'd been gone, all the houseplants needed watering - and the patio containers all needed to be dead-headed, rotated and tended (I hired the neighbor's children to keep those watered during the trips).  I had no less than eight loads of clothes to wash, and needed to replenish both personal and household stock items - necessitating trips to the bookstore, Harry's Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, Tuesday Morning,  Best Buy, Bruster's, Publix and Koger.  With two weeks worth of mail to sort through, stuff to unpack and put away, and the fact I was more than ready to do a little cooking... well, let's just say I'm not ready for Monday even though it's rapidly approaching.   I did manage to make some dark chocolate chunk pecan brownies; some lamb / feta burgers (using my home grown mint, oregano & thyme; served with a lovely galangal scented jasmine rice); and a pair of Enchilada casseroles - one for now, and one for the freezer.  I also managed to finish two books, watch some TV with hubby, catch up with a girlfriend, and walk the yard surveying the frost damage a few times.

Why do I list all this out?  To console myself, really.   I can take some comfort in all that's gotten done - instead of focusing on everything NOT yet done, such as:

• Writing & posting my resume - because with aforesaid boss's resignation, I really can't afford to ignore the handwriting on the wall at work any longer
• Actually taking action on the stack of mail: pay it, file it, shred it but one way or the other - get rid of it
• Picking a realtor & listing the house, even though 60% of me thinks it's going to be another exercise in futility
• Finding that cleverly organized envelope of year end paperwork and getting over to the accountants to file taxes
• Finding stuff to purge that equates in value to the new acquistions made on these two trips

I won't apologize for being driven.  But I do need to be a little nicer to myself about it, and remember that it's really ok to pursue the stuff I want to do - like travel and dine out and read and cook and shop and visit/socialize - the non-fun stuff doesn't ALL have to get done immediately nor must it all be complete before I allow myself to do things that are strictly for my own gratification.  This isn't a "eat your supper before you get dessert" situation - it's my life. 

And I'd much rather spend Sunday evening thinking of all the fun I've had than thinking of all the not-yet-finished "gotta do" items.

Satisfying Saturday

When I got up around 6 a.m. [I know, how decadent of me!]  yesterday, it was raining lightly.   I slipped into my raincoat and walked the yard, applying fertilizer to all the shrubs and annuals.  The rain didn't last long, so I flipped on the sprinkler system to ensure the fertilizer was thoroughly watered in and wouldn't burn the plants.  Though I seldom use the in-ground sprinkler system, it does come in handy at times.   If I were designing and installing one from scratch, though, I'd zone the beds independant of the lawn:  usually, if I water at all, it's for the flower & shrub beds.   

Spent much of the afternoon transplanting again - a half dozen or so blooming annuals; newly acquired; as well as another half dozen existing houseplants.   I'm not finished entirely with the houseplant transfers (everything needs a bigger pot this year!), but it takes all the pleasure out of it if I apply a "rush, must finish" mindset towards the project.  Besides, I wanted to work in time for a bit of cooking...

Pasta with White Clam Sauce [recipe below].   Crostini with goat cheese.  A  couple of garlic-loving friends to share it with.   All in all, a nice low-fuss meal :)

Add in the fact that I found time mid-morning to get to the used book store and restock, and you've got an overall Satisfying [albeit quiet] Saturday.

White Clam Sauce with Pasta

Like most all my recipes, this is in "the order of execution" rather than formal recipe style - and proportions are approximate / adjustable to your taste.  Ingredients are in bold, to make shopping easier.

Put a large sauce pan over low heat and dump in: 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tbspn. unsalted butter, 1 cup diced sweet onion, 3 tbsp. dried parsley, 1 tbspn. coarse sea salt & 1 tsp. Italian seasoning.  Let it cook very gently, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent.  Add in two large cloves of garlic; peeled and lighly smashed (not pulverized or run through the garlic press).  Optional: add in 1/2 tspn. red pepper flakes.  Let it cook for another 5 minutes or so, and add in 1/2 cup of Pinot Grigio.

Start heating the water for the pasta.   Juice two lemons into the pan containing the onions, and toss the rinds into the pasta water.  Add 2 large peeled (but whole) cloves of garlic to the water, along with 1.5 tbspns of coarse sea salt.  Since the clam sauce is very mild, echoing the flavors in the pasta is a Good Thing.

As the water heats, continue to stir the pan with the onions & garlic occasionally, adding more wine as the sauce reduces.   Once the pasta water comes to a boil, grind fresh black pepper and add another 3 tbspn. of butter into the pan with the onions & garlic.   Add your pasta to the water pot (I used Ziti Rigati last night because it was all I had in quantity) and stir well so it doesn't stick.

Add 2 or 3 cups of  chopped clams to the onions & garlic, along with more wine, if desired, and some of the boiling pasta water.  The amount of liquid needs to just barely cover the solids in the pan.  Turn that pot off, cover & set aside, so the clams get hot, but don't become tough & chewy.

When the pasta is done to your liking, fish out the garlic cloves from the pasta pot and mash them into the clam sauce.  Drain the pasta, discarding the lemon rinds.  Toss the pasta gently with the sauce, adding more black pepper and Parmesan Reggiano to taste.

Experiments in Frost Protection

It got down to 27 last night, so I figured I'd test out the impact of covering some of my new plantings vs. leaving them exposed...

I covered the snapdragons using empty planters:

As you can see, the sun hasn't come up high enough to melt the frost off all sides, so I'll leave them covered for another hour or so.  I'm sure the look is charming the neighbors ;)

Since I had two planters with herbs and lettuce, I covered one and left the other exposed.  Right now, it's hard to see any difference between the one that was covered:

and the one that was not:

I suspect I won't see any difference until later in the day when it warms up.  Since the water in the cells of the leaves froze in the uncovered planter, the question is: will the plants wilt when they thaw?

Prepping for Spring

Yesterday was largely devoted to planting and transplanting in preparation for Spring and for re-listing the house for sale.   I'm proud to report that even though I visited the gardening section over at Lowe's, I only purchased 8 quarts of coral snapdragons and one tiny six pack of red leaf lettuce.   Oh, there were gloriously blooming plants a-plenty - but I promised myself not to buy more than I could install in one day, and that new installations would not replace the other, {less glamorous but even more essential} tasks of repotting existing plants so they have room to grow.

I yanked out the spent flowering kale and replaced it with the snapdragons, so the front color bed looks great.   I don't think many people realize that snapdragons are nearly as hardy as pansies in our area...  or they'd be more prevalent in the early spring landscapes.

I tucked the lettuce in around the edges of my two herb containers on the mid-level porch; it adds a nice bit of color and who knows - I may even get enough to have a few salads before it gets too hot and turns the leaves bitter.

I transplanted four Lecotha (sp?) shrubs to larger pots; & transplanted the Yellow Thread Cypress as well.   Since I was up to my elbows in transplants anyhow, I decided I might as well tackle some of the houseplants... and ended up transplanting four pots of Spider plants, a Calendula {which is in bloom!} and planting the Split Leaf Philodendrum I'd been rooting this winter.   

Transplanting completed {at least for the day!}, I pulled the dirt off the root balls of the dead patio plants to help fill up some empty planters, and tossed the spent stalks down the hillside.  I'm still itching to get some blooming plants for those empty planters - but I am going to try to hold off at least a week.  At this time of year, more than any other, each day literally makes a difference in whether a plant will merely survive, actually thrive - or just plain die.  Patience isn't my long suit, but it's not like there's a shortage of other Spring Prep Projects to be done in the interim... As a last step for that area, I rearranged all the newly planted stuff so the deck looks good.

Since I was in a full-on gardening zone, and there was still plenty of daylight left, I took the new pole pruner out for a spin on the hillside... Um, let's just say I'm going to need more practice with that thing.  I managed a few clean cuts, but the majority were more of a shred than a cut.  On the other hand, I didn't amputate anything on my person either - and considering it's basically a small chain saw on a very long stick, that's Indeed A Good Thing.

All in all, a satisfying round of Spring Prep Puttering...  and I have a sneaking suspicion I may be back at it today...

Early Spring Planting

The last several days have hovered near 70 degrees, and it's exacerbating my Spring Gardening Fever.

I know, based on years of living in the Atlanta area, that it's still too early to plant much.  I know, too, that if I'm hoping to sell the house this season, that it'd be silly to invest much in the way of permanent plantings - and since I'm strongly hoping to be sold and moved before summer, any longer-term planting will have to wait until my next residence.  Still, I find myself browsing the on-line seed catalogs with "lust in my heart" as they say...

I do have a fair number of empty planters on the deck, though, and it's not too early to put in a few culinary herbs.  Last evening, I planted (one each): greek oregano, common sage, italian flat leaf parsley, and another catnip.  We've got a nice gentle rain going right now, which is perfect for new transplants... and since I've already established thyme and rosemary, and the mint will come back on its own, I'll have a fairly complete array of fresh herbs for cooking.  Yes, yes, I know, how can it be complete without basil?! - but it's way too early to plant that; it'll have to wait until at least April (if I'm still here!).

The good thing about container gardening on a hard surface like an elevated deck is that it all but eliminates the worry of fire ants (I'm deathly allergic, and they're pretty fond of garden soil & plants).  Container gardening also makes planting really easy -  a turn of the trowel vs. sweating with the shovel against hard Georgia clay.  The bad thing is that containers dry out very quickly, and require at least daily watering from about late May through the end of September - twice a day in July & August.  Again, if I were planning to stay here, I could set up a drip irrigation system for the containers - or at least plumb a spigot up to the top of the deck to make watering easier.   Since I'm not planning to stay, I'll be toting pitchers of water instead.  Oh well, I probably need the exercise.  And let's face it - part of the soothing nature of gardening is the sheer "putter" factor; individually watering each container definitely falls under "puttering" in the Maggie Lexicon.

Puttering does NOT involve "chores".  In the famous words of  Tom Sawyer, "Work [chores] consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and ... Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do".  I relish the ability to pay someone to do the stuff I don't enjoy, like mowing and edging and fertilizing the grass and de-thatching and raking and all that tediousness; paying someone to plant the permanent installations such as shrubs and trees and hardscape that requires serious digging.  This leaves my time and energy available for the puttery things I enjoy like annuals - whether flower or vegetable or herb - and for overall creative garden design.

One of the items on the "important for the next residence" list is definitely a little space for gardening.  I'm not looking for acres of cornfield - rather, I'd like to all but eliminate the traditional suburban "lawn" concept in favor of specifically planted beds.  Ideally, some areas would be lightly shaded, some full sun, some actually wooded... what a pity budget isn't going to run to combining convenient location AND an acre or so of land.   

Happily, though, at least I have my little container garden to tide me over until the house sells - and at least it's started, even if only in a tiny, tiny way.

Whoops.

Went outside bright and early Saturday morning, and what did I find?

My red-twig Dogwood - the one I installed as the primary winter interest specimen in the front bed - was cut down to about 14" from the ground.   Insert Charlie Brown "AAUUUUGGH" cry here.

I guess I circled that stubby little remainder of what had  been a thriving shrub three times.  I just couldn't believe my eyes... I probably did a fair imitation of a slack jawed round eyed cartoon for a good 60 seconds.

One teeth gritted phone call to the landscaper revealed all: His crew probably mistook it for a Crepe Myrtle.  Now, how that is even possible is beyond me - they bear no resemblence I can find - at least there was SOME explanation. 

We agreed that he'd plant a new one - TODAY - if I went to pick it up from the specialty nursery.  He'd have been willing to pick it up, but I wanted to select the plant myself.  After talking to the nursery, it seems there's only a 50-50 shot that the sheared specimen will live; it needs to be moved to a less prominent location and hope for the best is about all I can do with that one.

I've also asked my landscaper to have the crew knock on the door before they prune anything - to prevent this kind of problem in the future.    So, problem remedied and preventive measures established to reduce chances of reoccurance....

But I'm STILL CHAPPED ABOUT IT.  The one they sheared was bigger and fuller than anything the nursery had, so we're not creating a "like for like" end result.  The landscaper was sincerely apologetic, and absolutely willing to try to fix the situation - but dammit, that shrub was fabulous and now I have to start over.  It'll be 18 months before the new one comes close to the size of the sheared one.  AAAUUUUGGGH. 

No, it's not the end of the world or even a big crisis in the scheme of things.  But it still Chaps My Hide.

Spring Fever

All the Xmas holiday decorations are packed away, and I've got a serious case of spring fever.  I want to plant; I want to beautify my outdoor living spaces .

I want a small vegetable garden this year, but due to HOA restrictions, it's not allowed in this subdivision.  Since there's no progress on selling the house, this desire will likely be thwarted.

I want to plant old fashioned roses, too.  But they're expensive, and it's a waste to put them in if I'm not planning to stay here.

Frankly, it's too cold and way, way too early to plant any annuals (which would assuage some of my fever) or to begin my container gardens.    In previous years, when this passion would strike, I'd look through the garden and seed catalogs - making my plans for the warmer weather to come.  It seems silly to do so, though, when any long term plans are still on hold.

So I've temporarily settled for adding a pair of walnut colored rockers to the side porch (got them on Such A Deal pricing - $50 each instead of the normal $125 or so).  I'll rearrange some of the existing porch stuff, and possibly plant the houseplants I've been rooting in water over the winter.  Depending on the temperature, I may install some of the shrubs that have been lingering in pots for the past month or two as well...  I'd hoped that if the house sold, I could take them with me since they weren't in the ground.  But at this point, I think I'd get more pleasure out of planting them than taking them along... especially since the house will be off the market effective 1//4/07.

Oh, I'll relist it - but not with the same agent, and probably not until the end of February, when the spring market starts.

Spring fever.  Ready for changes, ready for the start of a new growing season... and longing for the warmth of the sun and the myriad possibilities that seem to attend breaking out of winter's dormancy.

Frosty Fall Morning

It was 35 when I got up this morning.  35 degrees.  Ack!  A light mist of frost is still glinting in the shady patches around the house, but that isn't detracting from my glorious plans.

Over the last several evenings, I've been pruning back (by hand, with long loppers) the undergrowth on the hillside behind the house.  I've also entirely cleared a swath down to the creek, using my new-found knowledge of where the property lines are since I paid to have a surveyor stake them out.  Turns out that on the right side of the house, the property line kicks out enough that there is a semi-gradual descent; that's where I've cleared the swath. 

Next step: installing pavers down the grassy side yard and on down through the woods to show a "clear and accessible path" to the creek.  I went over to Home Depot Landscape yesterday, and thanks to the contractor tag I got from my former landscaper, I paid $2.24 per paver instead of the retail $3.74.  I've gotten a quote I can potentially work with for the labor of digging out the dirt for each one and placing them - which may not sound like it would be tough but is much more heavy labor than I want to engage in executing personally. 

I also bought 5 compacta hollies, 3 dwarf yaupons, 3 large (grow to 8' x 6') azaleas, 5 lecotha, 4o creeping vinca,  3 more flats of pansies, 1 bag of rustic red rubber mulch, 10 bags of garden soil, and a faux boulder cap to go over the pipe that sticks up in the front yard.  Those of you who know me are at this point going "And just how did you get all that home in your mid-sized car?!"

Simple.  I'm having most of it delivered on Monday.   I did bring home the pansies, mulch & 3 bags of dirt so I can install all that this weekend.  The delivery cost was actually less than it would've cost me to rent their truck, by the time you figure in how many hours it would take to load it, drive it, unload it, and return it.

Once the pavers are in, I want to put a bright colored bench or even a picnic table down at the flats by the creek, to show potential buyers how much fun this property could really be if they just had half of an imagination and a dollop of sense.

All told, between the surveyor's fee, the materials, the delivery charge, the paid labor (not mine), etc. this is probably going to come in around three to four grand... and I am definitely feeling some serious pangs about that.  So much for my dreams of a new PC, and of reducing some of my debt.  But if it means the house sells faster than it would have, or at a better price, then it will be worth it.  Still, I feel a little like I'm in Vegas - betting on an uncertain outcome.

The mental consolation is that I will enjoy the results while I still live here - and I have again the comfort of knowing I am doing everything I possibly can to drive towards my goal of selling the house, rather than sitting idle in seething frustration and wishing things were different.

Hmph.  I need to finish my coffee, don my yard boots and get to planting those pansy flats, so I can spend the afternoon going to the movies and then out to supper with my girlfriend...

Heck, I'll probably work up a fairly quick sweat and not even notice (much) the fact it's only 35 degrees.

Seasonal Transition

Seems as though we've had a pretty sudden drop into mid fall; skipping the preliminaries of gradual temperature decline and moving instead into fifty degree mornings.

I pulled the front Salvia on Thursday, and went over to Home Depot for pansies to replace them.  Got about half of them planted yesterday; I need to finish up before I leave for my hair appointment so the entrance looks nice for the showing(s) we have today...  but it's so chilly, I'm reluctant to venture outside just yet!

I dumped the essentially spent bowls of annuals and replaced them with pumpkins going up the front step - Harry's in Alpharetta had them 3 for $12, which was too big a bargain to pass up.

If we were staying in this house, I'd be contemplating shrubbery - but no point in that if we're looking to move.  I do want to get new pinestraw laid down; it makes even empty beds look nicer.  The quote from my yard man was a little steep though - I may decide to call another company unless my guy will bundle the straw costs in on another project I've asked him to provide a quote for... and give me an overall reasonable figure.

I haven't decided whether to put out my interior fall decorations or not, but I'm leaning towards not.

I like marking the seasons as they change; it feels as though I'm riding the rapids of time rather than being pulled along that river.

Sigh.  More evidence of my innate weirdness ;)