24 Carat Star Time

Ok, I guess I’ve been M.I.A. for long enough. Things are beginning to take shape in the new house, and although there are still some high mountains to climb, today I am feeling centered and full of purpose.

One of the interesting things about the new house is the new garden. As you know, ChessMan and I put a lot of effort into our golden in the old house. In the end, though, we both had to admit that it was simply too big a task for us. We neither has the time nor physical wherewithall to do it justice. That realization came slowly. When I first saw this house, I was a disappointed at the size of the garden. In the meantime, I realize that my first impression was misleading. The old house had its entire garden behind it. This house has a nice garden in the front, as well as a small patch in the back, and some ground to the left (where there is a small greenhouse) and to the right (where there is a carport).

This year’s gardening is mostly a watching and waiting game. We simply don’t know what’s planted, so we’re waiting to see what’s there before deciding whether we like it and want to keep it. Because the spring was so cool and rainy, we’re at least 3 weeks behind schedule, but now things are beginning to finally flaunt their colors.

I love this azalea!

Although the daffs and primroses are gone, the pansies are holding their own in this tub beside the front door.

I love this color of blue!

These were all taken in the morning, when the sun was on the front of the house. I’ll be taking more pictures this and tomorrow afternoon to show you what’s happening out back.

I know I just posted an incredibly long entry this morning (so, if you haven’t read “How Menopause Got Me To Madrid”, what are your waiting for?), I also want to post the following pictures. I took them this morning in the garden just after watering. (ChessMan mowed the lawn while I was gone, but didn’t think to give the plants a good healthy slurp!)

Thank you, RawDawgBuffalo, for not only requesting more pix of the flowers, but for motivating me to do something I’ve actually been planning to do for awhile.

The fight against the grass and weeds is still an uphill battle, but we are making some headway.

I plan to post pictures again in a few weeks, so you can see how things have progress and what’s in full bloom!

* The first irises are beginning to blossom in the side garden.

* I love peonies, and am happy to say that two of my three plants are now in bud.

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One of my major projects last summer was planting an herb garden. I have kept pots of fresh herbs on my kitchen window sills for years, but I had a vision of a time when I could wander outside just before a meal – armed with scissors and a small basket – to pick bunches of fragrant herbs for cooking and adding a zesty garnish to the salad.

After letting the puppies use the garden as their playground in 2006, we had sod laid out over the whole section this past summer. We then spent quite some time pouring over gardening and flower books, before trotting off to garden centers in the Netherlands and open markets here in Germany. I originally envisioned am herb garden as a simple affair:  a square bed somewhere along the edge of the garden as a home for whatever struck my fancy. But ChessMan and my many books quickly taught me that I was thinking much too small!

Herb gardens can be quite complex and ornate affairs, so I had to up my game considerably.

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