Sunday, September 21, 2008

Ordinary

Sometimes I can't get out of my own way. I fret, lament, curse, and crumble until I finally get myself outside again, pushing my fingers in the cold soil, willing to deal with growth and promise instead of my own sorry alternatives.
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So it is that JB and I have spent the last two weekends cleaning up and putting down.
This might be the last dahlia of the season. The four tubers I planted for the first time ever have been a wild success. Beautiful abundant dahlias, some deep purple, some deep pink, some like this one pink on the outside and yellow on the inside.
Then there's the zinnias. These are minatures, popped in the ground in July to the left of JB's Magic Cottage.

Not to mention the metal sunflower from P-town. How cool is this--six feet high and made of scrap metal?

Finally I painted the Baker's shelf I got at the weekly auction for $ 15. It will go on the Porch, which has not yet claimed a clear identity but this festive Cuban blue will be a good start.
Also to the left of the Magic Cottage, I can't believe how sweet these look on the fence.

Did I already mention the Sunflower? Here it is again. This was the big purchase of the summer and I smile every time I look at it.
The Magic Cottage is getting ready for JB's 2nd Annual YART (Yard plus Art = YART). The side yard should nicely hold the fifteen or so artists that are participating this year, including Madame kj who will read tarot cards for a dollar.
I love my backyard. I don't know how it has become so lovely.


This sunflower is every bit as large as it looks--probably a foot or more in diameter. This came from my friend Lily's front yard.

Dahlias! I hope my father is looking down on them and is proud of me.

And last: two weekends of weeding, digging, planting, and mulching. I had hired a couple of guys to remove the old boring evergreen shrubs and pull the big roots from the soil. I used a garden hose to trace the circular shape. I planted hostas around the border. And I popped in a dozen mums to compliment the few new shrubs added a month ago. It's only a beginning, but it looks content and respectable.

So here I am with paint on my arms and dirt on my hands. My back hurts and my knee's complaining. But I know when I step outside tomorrow morning before breakfast, I will look at the yard and feel better. Even if my insides are a bit chaotic, at least my yard's feeling better.


13 comments:

  1. Dang! Dang! Dang!

    Your yard and garden are so beautiful. I wish I could pick it up and lay it down here.

    Your make art with your garden.

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  2. It looks really good. Love that nice blue painted shelfthing. And also the metal flower. :-) In two weeks time there are three men building a new gardenhouse in our garden. The empty spot (bushes and trees are gone already) is filled with sand now and waiting for things to happen. I'll be glad if I can redecorate that part of the garden. Like you did.

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  3. Your garden is an act of love and a work of art! The metal sunflower is sooo cool!

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  4. Now you can start practising reading cards :-))

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  5. KJ - Your photographs are pleasure for my eyes!

    I am going to ask Father Christmas for a metal sunflower :-D

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  6. Gorgeous!! I feel more serene just looking at your garden ... can you come orchestrate the tearing up, redoing, thinning, replanting of our beds? :D You ladies do an awesome job!

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  7. Lovely cottage garden. I wish I enjoyed the gardening thing. We've just started spruicing up for spring and it's amazing what a difference just removing weeds, trimming and coating the borders with pine bark makes. I wish I could attend your Yart, sounds like a fantastic idea!

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  8. Gorgeous.

    And this: So here I am with paint on my arms and dirt on my hands. My back hurts and my knee's complaining. But I know when I step outside tomorrow morning before breakfast, I will look at the yard and feel better. Even if my insides are a bit chaotic, at least my yard's feeling better.
    I believe you are channeling me!!

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  9. wieneke, i want to hear about the gardenhouse. what will it be used for? i know you can redecorate as i did, because as long as the soil is good, the plants do all the work!

    carla, i wish i could have bought three of those sunflowers!

    hildegarde, i always feel like you really know me. :)

    miladysa, i hope father christmas delivers. it will make you happy.

    melissa, yes, the yard looks fine, but i'm not exactly sure how or why.

    baino, i would be delighted to have you at the YART. the best part is seeing "non" artists being artists. i know what you mean about cleaning up and weeding etc. i like it when i can see a wild area and say 'a human being's been here' :)

    cs, kindred souls...

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  10. Oh, my heart is aching! I miss my yard so much (we moved to an apartment last year), and seeing your beautiful, beautiful yard makes me yearn to play with dirt again. The dahlias are divine! The deer kept eating mine, so I'm envious of yours. And the Magic Cottage! Sigh.

    Thank you so much for sharing your garden and for stopping by my place.

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  11. Hey, thanks for visiting my blog! I've been neglecting my friends I'm afraid, I'm just swamped with work. I hope things will get better soon.
    Hard work in the garden: no thanks! Just grass and a few flowers for me. But your garden looks pretty good, I admit.

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  12. bella, thanks for your visit here. gee, you make me appreciate my yard even more :)

    hello pieterbie! slow down!

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