Day One:

Every day is different for me and I often find myself running around the city trying to accomplish everything I said that I would do! Now that this blog is up, I will give a more accurate accounting of my journey through both gardening and running a business. Just as a beginning point, I wish to post a few of my favorite images that I have recorded since thinking about blogging.

In a nursery down the street, they have a special hanging plant which is occupied every year by this lovely creature:Can you see the hummingbird sitting on her nest (right in the middle)? So small and so still. I have seen the nest before as I always check in when I go there, but this is the first time I saw her sitting on top. Such a treat.

Maintenance gardening requires going to a yard week after week, year after year. Now that I am in my fourth year, I have several yards with which I have become intimate and derive great pleasure in watching my plants (yes, I said my plants) go through their yearly cycles. Certain times of the year are more beautiful than others, though that changes for each yard. The differences between plants are fascinating: some are beautiful through all of their cycles whereas others have just the magnificent show once a year. The cymbidium orchid is in the latter category as most of the year they look half dead, but when they bloom.... Watch Out!
Here is one that I love to see each year:

It has just opened up. I think there are seven flower stalks, but I will have to count again. This client has one other plant whose flowers have not opened yet. They are very slow in coming...

Another of my favorite plants for anticipation is the Echium or Pride of Madera. It is a large shrub with amazing flower spikes that start at this time of year and take a long time to emerge. When they do, the bees love them and the color is striking. Here is what they look like now:


A few more weeks and they will be beautiful. This one house has about 20 of these plants. A few of them died after blooming last year, but they self-seed like mad so new ones are coming up. I have learned to manage them as they can seed all over (the lawn, the pathways) and they can become 6'x6'! It is a lot easier to take something out when it is small than when it is big!!!

I am done for today. I need to sketch up an idea for an herb garden and price out some work. When you are self employed it is good to be busy.
thanks and enjoy the day