Tuesday's Thoughts

Clematis 'Miss Bateman'

Things have been relatively quiet here on my corner of Katy for the last couple of days. Due to mechanical difficulties and parental commitments, Otahal has been otherwise occupied. He did stop by today to measure the beds for the soil mix needed to fill them and plans to be here tomorrow with crew in tow. With the garden to myself, you'd think that I'd be out there from dawn to dusk. While I did manage to get a few things done, I called it quits before 2 pm, came inside and cleaned up, then took a nap. I don't know if I've gotten so acclimated to cooler weather that I can't tolerate the heat or if there's some other reason for my unaccustomed languor. I don't like it, I can tell you that much.

One of the things I discussed with Otahal while he was here was my dissatisfaction with one part of the design. The double-stacked rock border at the back of the corner bed is just 4 feet away from the double-stacked rock border at the front of the large bed around the water oak. There's not enough definition between the two areas when the borders are the same height. So we're removing a layer of rock on the wall behind the corner bed and adding a third layer around a curve of the large bed.

I hadn't mentioned it here but I woke up the other morning with a serious case of buyer's remorse, convinced that the rocks were all wrong and I hated them. Thankfully, I got talked down off the ledge by some of my friends. There's always at least one point in the renovation process, be it home or garden, when I lose faith in my vision and am sure that I've screwed it all up royally. That's where I was Sunday morning. I think just getting soil in the beds will make a tremendous difference in my happiness quotient.

And, of course, taking myself out for a walk around the garden always calms my jangled nerves and brings a smile to my face. For the last week or more, these Indian Pinks (Spigelia marilandica) have made my heart sing. I've tried and tried and tried again to grow these ... finally I've been successful! They're in totally the wrong spot, color wise, but perhaps I can find a way to work around that. I really hate to move them when they've settled in so nicely.



The soft moonlight yellow blooms of the Republic of Texas rose make me very glad I decided to include it in my garden. As a native Texan, I felt duty bound to grow it. And it also makes me smile because way WAY back in my childhood days at Garden Villas Elementary School in southeast Houston, I once twirled a rope to the tune of "The Yellow Rose of Texas" in a talent show.



This lemon yellow daylily is always the first to bloom in the garden. It's also the most prolific of any I grow. Yellow is my least favorite color in the garden but blooms like these (and those of the RofT rose) make me appreciate it more.


This daylily was the second one to bloom. It's a shame I can't remember its name.

Right now I think I'll go sit outside for a bit and enjoy the cool of the evening. Cheers!


Comments

beckie said…
Cindy, maybe you are tiredbecause you have been doing sooo much! I love the Indian pinks-don't think I have ever seen them before but they are gorgeous. I wonder if they would grow here?? How can you not like yellow in the garden? Each to his own, but the rose is beautiful as is the daylily. The other one looks like a Candy something...if that jogs anything.

Don't be too hard on yourself and do take a rest when you need one. The garden will be there when you are done napping. :)