Thursday, August 27, 2015

Thursday

When I talked to Ed about expanding the flower fields, he asked -- who's going to maintain them?
I responded -- oh, once they're established, they wont need much care.

Of course, that's only partly true. You can neglect perennials once the season draws to a close, but you'll be a happier garden gawker if you do a thorough trimming right about now. Some plants will reward you with a light rebloom, but really, that's not the point. Your goal is to have a deliberate slide into autumn, rather than the mess of a spent flower bed.

Typically, this is a miserable job here, at the farmette, because we do get the mosquitoes and they don't go away until the first hard frost, but this year, we have had a very insignificant bug population and so I put on my gardening gloves today and set to work.

All day long.

From before breakfast (when setting the cheepers free)...


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(a commenter asked about goldenrod -- it's here, growing somewhat wildly beside clumps of lilies.




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(to the north of the farmette)


... and breakfast is on the porch today!


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... through late afternoon. I'm not done, but I made great inroads! If I neglect the rest, the garden will still look presentable.

You may not notice the difference, but I sure do!


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Much later in the day, Ed and I have a lovely game of tennis and, too, we visit our local farmers market. These evening rides on the motorcycle along rural roads, when the breeze is just right and there's a faint dryness in the air are heavenly! And the produce at the market? We're the tail end of the fantastic corn season. Supper is going to be very local: tomatoes and cucumbers from our garden, corn from up the road. Okay, the fish is from distant waters.

In the evening, we have a very special visitor!


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We play indoors mostly,  but we don't neglect the porch!


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And yes, this girl changes with the wind. Yes, even her face shape looks somehow transformed. I left a baby, I returned to a near toddler...


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... though like before,  she still is drawn toward that bearded guy!
 

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... and she still adores her jumparoo.


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Though she is not only all giggles and grins. There is a more serious side to her.


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... as if first day of school is around the corner and she is taking in her last minutes of play.