Keeping it Green

This is the view out our front door. It's been this same view all winter.  Some of the time bright like this, but more often grey'd over and dim.  The snow has been there pretty much since Winter Day 1. And it's been cold, really cold; all crisp and edgy cold with that strict and icy blue scent that the makers of men's cologne try to capture as that last final edge.

It's been beautiful this winter.  This image is a bit misleading, though. It shows what is not what it has seemed. The beauty holds itself in the sheer drama of biting cold and clear everywhere-white.  But the feel of it has been increasingly hard on the soul. There is so little color other than the white snow and grey skies.

So Beloved Spouse and I treasure the two things that have kept our souls reminded the colors we are missing: our houseplants and a painting by my late sister, whom I have referred to in this blog as Artist.

  

Poplars
Jan Marie Jablonski

 

Hurry Spring!

Closing this Summer's Porch Garden

 

Pre-garden, June 2013

After an uneasy and unusually cool summer, September enters with its fading light and chill, clear air.  And this summer's porch garden is being decommissioned in stages as I harvest the herbs and tomatoes. 

The impatiens, which I got only to fill in the holes between what I thought was going to be a fulsome kitchen herb garden, were one of the few the survivors of the too-cool summer.  Though now, I have to say, they are looking a bit gassed for it.

 

Every September our landlady provides two fulsome mums.  This year's editions are especially grand.

 

 
And as if to deny the upcoming Autumn solstice, the geraniums are presenting a voluminous profusion of second-wind blossoms.

Summer Porch Garden Underway

This year's porch garden got off to a slow start, thanks to the late Spring, which was cool and rainy.  Usually I get things planted by Memorial Day weekend. This year it was two weeks later.

And since the summer looks to be a busy one, this post will be likely one of only a few I get out on our gardening. So I've done a bit of time compression to show you how things are going!

Our porch has a piece of re-purposed decor this summer: the last-year's nest of a robin we named Missus Yount (after MLB Hall of Famer Robin Yount) and her two young'ns: Robin Jr. and Kon Biki.

And we've rearranged things a bit too.  

2012

2013

And here's the rest of the current timeline and growth reports.

Geraniums
(last year's successfully wintered over in our basement)

Tomatoes and Basil

We added a little color this year - Impatiens -- pink and red -- planted pretty much wherever! 

Including in the large container for soil mixings.

And a Waxed Begonia or three.

Herbs (varieties of Thyme, Sage, Oregano) in June. . .

. . . and this recently.

This sunflower began with high hopes . . .

. . . but faded recently, despite good sun (but perhaps some over-watering).

The most exciting thing is that we already have some tomatoes ripening.  

That and the evenings we sit on the porch, 

enjoying the colors and scents of our garden!