Kathy’s Garden – Page 2 – movingforwardslowly

Airborne Seeds and More

I have posted in the past about Maple helicopter seeds (whirly gigs). I ran across this Swamp Milkweed seed picture this morning and was impressed once again by the beautiful silky fibers of this seed. These fibers allow the Swamp Milkweed to go airborne (in a different way than the helicopters). I have posted the picture to show you the beauty of these seeds.

I have been thinking about planting a Swamp milkweed again. It really does bring in the Monarch butterflies. It is a host plant for them. I have been getting out into my garden, though today the weather is making me stay inside. Outside feels like an intense sauna.

Yesterday morning I started organizing all my garden supplies by cleaning out my long deck storage box and my garden shed. I have many old garden gloves, however, the two long sleeve pairs I had are now damaged. So, I ordered two more long garden gloves to protect me from all the bad plants that could hurt me. I also found my head netting that goes over my garden hat, and protects my face, ears, and neck from garden bugs.

Looking through my pictures brings back plant memories to me. I also found a cool picture of the aster flower with a flower spider and its prey. Perhaps I will plant more of these. Look below.

I also ran across a picture of a beautiful dahlia flower that used to grow in my garden. I used to order dahlia corms from Swan Island Dahlias. Dahlias do not grow year round in my garden because we are in a plant zone where you have to dig them up to keep them. I still get an occasional email from Swan Island Dahlias, so now I am considering whether I could grow them again. My garden has changed drastically since then. Here is a picture of the beauty from the past.

I need the weather to move out of the danger zone before I can make serious progress. I have been taking advantage of early mornings and late evening for some garden clean-up. Patience is needed right now.

Stay hydrated if you have to be out in the heat, and be careful.

The Storm is Over, Power has been Restored, and a Heat Wave has been Forecast

The recent storm caused power outage pushed me to rearrange the deck and uncover my Big Green Egg. I had a big enchilada casserole in the oven when the power went out in the late afternoon. I waited, thinking the power would be restored soon. After a couple of hours I covered the casserole still in the oven. Around 6am the next morning when the power was still out I fired up the grill, and placed the casserole on the stone shelf. It finished cooking this way. It was delicious!

We kept the two refrigerators cold with a generator we had not had to use for over 10 to 15 years. Neither my husband or I could remember exactly the last time we had an extended power outage, though we knew it was a long time ago. The small portable Jackery power station my husband uses occasionally with his business came in handy for smaller electrical necessities.

I read about the heat wave that should be arriving this weekend or early next week. I prayed that our power would be restored before this time. The power came back on last evening when the day was winding down. Thank God, and thank you Dominion Energy and all your dedicated service workers.

The picture above captures my mood this morning.

Three Poems

This photo was taken by Katherine June Krein in the year 2008.

Hairstreak
Small in size, about an inch, it still captivates. Up close it is more attractive than from a distance. Usually, the opposite is true, especially true of humans.

There are different types and variations of the hairstreak. It has a scientific name. I don't have it memorized. You can look it up.

The sky is overcast today. We are in the future now, and not in the past with this. I have not seen any butterflies yet in 2025.

Honeybees were swarming the skip laurel hedge yesterday. I read it provides an early spring nectar. They seemed a nuisance, but they are important pollinators, so they will be left alone. I am insignificant to them, and probably not even noticed.

The overcast sky today has changed to intermittent sunshine. A storm is forecast for later tonight.

Rose Hips
The season is over, and all the petals have fallen.
The stark and brittle rose stems are left standing.
They remain armed and dangerous with thorns intact.
The blossom bases that were once green begin to redden and ripen.
These jewels are called hips.
They hold value and should be picked.
Fresh or dried they can be used for tea or jam.
If left alone, the birds will find them and be thankful.
These rose hips might even keep the doctor away.
(July 12,2020)

Not exactly dirty, hot, and sweaty! AI generated image.

Unadorned
No necklaces, no manicures, no pedicure
Uncut, unpolished, and rough.
Sweaty, grimy, hot and dirty.
I sit completely unadorned in the garden.
The plants, insects, and garden birds take center stage.
The only spotlights are the sun and moon.
In the garden I'm the watcher and director,
When nature decides to acquiesce.
(I deleted it and typed it again today. The original date has been lost.)

P.S. I combined two old posts. I was going to delete them, and decided they could stay here. Why not?
P.P.S Today I added a 3rd poem.

Garden Update April 2025

https://birdfact.com/articles/northern-flicker-vs-red-bellied-woodpecker. Picture is from this site.

My husband has been regularly filling the bird seed feeders and the suet feeders. This has attracted all sorts of birds to our garden. The other day I was very surprised to see a Northern Flicker at the suet feeder. I have never seen a live one nor a live one in our garden. It was big for the feeder compared to the little Downy woodpeckers that come around regularly now. When I was in the kitchen baking this morning, I looked out the window and saw the big bird again, but now I am not sure whether it was a Northern Flicker or some other type of woodpecker. The reason I wondered this is because the bird seen at our feeder had a very red head. The red started at the back of its neck and extended up to the back top of its head, and flickers don’t seem to have so much red on their head. However, looking at the comparison pictured above, the bird at our feeder did have the black patch and a mottled look on its front. It must be a Northern Flicker that it is coming around these days, and perhaps its redder head is a variation. In any case, I am very thrilled to be seeing it. It is almost too big for the suet feeder.

The Skip Laurel (Schip Laurel) hedge that is on two sides of our deck is blooming heavily this year. See picture below that was taken with my cell phone today.

Another surprise that I noticed today is a very old tall pink honeysuckle blooming. It was in the garden originally; however, it had been stunted with lack of sunlight for many years because another tree had been crowding it out. The offending tree was cut down a couple of summers ago. The pink honeysuckle is taking advantage of this and is spreading out and blooming. Gardens are always full of ongoing competitions. Next week I will be on break from school, so my plan is to get out in the garden.

Bless, Blessed, and Blessings

I have several thoughts on my mind this Sunday. I think I posted about the cardinal flower yesterday because Pope Francis has been in the news.
My thoughts and prayers are with him.

Last week I received my Virginia Real ID. This is my birthday month, and it was time to renew my driver's license, so since the law has changed regarding this, I upgraded to a real ID. I am good now for eight years before the need will arise again.

My inside joke is that I will be blessed next week since adding one year to my age will make my age 'code' for blessed. I see this word written on clothes, garden stones, garden fairies, etc. Making it a joke is one way to lessen the thought of 'older age' or 'old age'. I don't feel old.

This hypertufa planter I made 14 years ago is still standing strong.
The inside needs to be redesigned with new plant material and fun features.
I found the recipe online at gardeners.com. Here is a picture.

You can find directions at the above mentioned website. I did not follow these exact directions when I made mine years ago. If I remember correctly I found the directions in a book or magazine. They were not complete directions, so I had to improvise with how to make the form. I used a big old picnic basket that I lined with a super-sized, plastic, heavy duty garden refuse bag. I used gloves to slap the mixture on the sides. It was much harder to make than I expected. Once you start the process, you have to finish it. I was very blessed that it turned out as well as it did. The only reason I made one is because I kept seeing them at an upscale garden center, and I really wanted one, though their price was more than I could justify or felt comfortable paying.

Since I will be blessed this year (ha!), I should redesign the planter with some new mini or dwarf plantings. It currently holds a dwarf azalea, and some dwarf hostas named "Mouse Ears." These are drought tolerant. I still have the faded fairy with the word "Bless" on it. I will look for more garden decor with the words: bless, blessed, or blessing. Also I need to look for an automatic way to water it.

Looking ahead with plans to improve some things is a good way to feel positive right now.

Cardinal Flower Attraction & More

The cardinal flower likes to have its feet in watery mud.
The cool refreshing environment keeps it hydrated.
The nectar filled flowers are pulsing with life.
The hummingbird comes consistently during hot summer days.
The flower's nectar helps power its flight.
The swamp milkweed in the background has its own special suitor.
It arrives later in the summer and lays its eggs under the leaves.
The monarch's eggs will develop into caterpillars that eat and eat.
The excitement of the chrysalis is payment for the patient gardener.

Unusual Development

The other day when I was looking for monastery pictures,
I found this picture buried in my files.

This allium bulb shot upward in the spring, and then an insect or worm intervened.
The resulting curl made it stand out in its warped appearance.
Another type of beauty came alive. Its development continued.
Its flower came out the best that it could under these circumstances.
A very unique looking flower stood proud. It did not fold.

The flower's story is an inspiration. Disruptors exist all around us.
We can continue to bloom to the best of our ability, or we can give up.
In the end the Earth always takes us back and prepares for the future.
Continue to pray for all of us. God is with us when we pray.
The rain outside gives me hope. Life is possible.

Woodpeckers and Junipers

A downy woodpecker in a juniper tree. This image is AI generated, however, its creation was inspired by a real sighting outside my dining room window this past Sunday.

The downy woodpecker is especially close to my heart since we have an artistic carving of a downy pair which we purchased long ago at an indoor craft’s fair. We also have real live downy woodpeckers that come around our home during this time of year. I saw only the male with a full vivid red patch on the back top of its head. It was a perfect specimen of a real bird in action. It hung around longer than I expected, though I was still too busy doing other things to take its picture.

The tree outside our window is a Juniperus virginiana (aka red cedar). It is tall enough to hug our home and protect one corner of our covered deck which would otherwise be exposed to wind. Junipers are in the cypress tree family along with sequoias. We also have three of these trees along our back fence line. They stand closely together which has made them grow straighter and taller, and they are less spread out than the one surrounding the corner of our dining room and deck. We have one more of these trees which had been partially cut down at one time, and now has a tall daughter tree that grew up and out from its base. It protects another corner of our home along the backside.

Since my recent woodpecker sighting I have been reading up about all types of evergreens that are used as Christmas trees, and all the traditions surrounding its origin. During my research I ran across a Willa Cather quote that I found captures a sentiment that I have felt before.

“I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do. I feel as if this tree knows everything I ever think of when I sit here.” ~ Willa Cather

Downy woodpecker pair is made out of carved wood and then painted. We purchased this long ago at an indoor craft exhibition.

Sweet Olive Whispers

Sweet olive flower artistically designed as a drop earring. I imagine it can whisper.

Osmanthus fragrans is its scientific name.

This flowering plant is native to Asia from the Himalayas through several provinces in China, Taiwan, southern Japan, and S.E. Asia as far south as Cambodia and Thailand.

In China, it is the “city flower” of several cities, and in Japan it is a “city tree” of several prefectures.

In Chinese mythology it is said that it grows on the moon. Wu Gang was a Chinese character who is known for endlessly cutting it down. It is seen as a divine punishment for him because this “self-healing” Osmanthus could and would regrow an equal amount every day.

I was inspired to look up this flowering plant when I saw this pair of earrings today. All the information here I have gleaned from Wikipedia. The picture has been edited from a picture on the Etsy website. Wikipedia did not suggest this flower can whisper. This thought came from my imagination, and when I read about the mythology, it confirmed to me it must have magical powers. Ha!

I even looked to see if I could grow this fragrant flowering plant in my garden. I think it needs a slightly warmer garden zone than where I am located. In the future when I get the chance to seriously renovate my garden, I will explore this possibility again.

A Change of Seasons

First day of fall surprise– Two blooming “Going Bananas” day-lilies.

Last night desire was running with the undercurrents in the room.
My senses were on high alert. That sensual feeling that seeks me out now and then was reaching through the invisible walls around me.
And then I fell asleep.

I woke to the first day of fall which can also be called autumn.
Out my window I was surprised to see two bright yellow day-lilies blooming once more.
It does not look like a change of seasons from the past.
The rain last night brought renewal in its wake.

I also spotted a little chick-a-Dee and a tufted Titmouse.
I have not seen either in quite a while. It is a joy to watch these birds in flight.They look like they are jumping through air.

Katherine Phlox back from the mid-summer browning.

Another surprise this morning was the blooming Katherine Phlox.
It had dried out in our summer heat. I had cut it down and watered it well, and then it was forgotten. Today it is blooming again.

I have a feeling that this fall will be full of renewal.
Happy Sunday!