Crazy. Wild. Wacky! What else can you say about the weather when your daughter has her June birthday off from school because they've used the last "snow day"? While we didn't actually have snow we did have a State of Emergency in my town due to wild weather. We lost our power and didn't regain it for days. But finally life has begun to resume it's "normalcy". Yeah, right, my life isn't ever normal!

And neither are my gardens! I've gone from lush Iris beauty to well...less than lovely. It's that odd time of the season when spring blooms are over and summer blooms need another week or so. But still I can find beauty, peace and tranquility (and weeds) in any garden!

Like this last of my Iris beauties to bloom.

I was surprised by this lemon yellow Iris when it bloomed amongst it's already spent purple counterparts. I find that my gardens go through color changes throughout the year. You might think I planned for Early Spring to be yellow (daffodils, narcissus, and such)...Late Spring to be purples and blues (Bearded Iris, Siberian Iris, etc)...Summer tends to be more fiery with pinks and oranges (daylilies my one true love) and...Fall with it's deep dark solomn reds, oranges, and browns...But you'd be wrong. I simply toss everything in together and then marvel that I haven't made a mockery of the gardening experience. Yet, I've never been truly unsatisfied with any of my gardens.

Such is the case with my Compost Garden. Every plant in this new garden (planted fall of '07) was saved from a Gardening Friend's Compost Pile. I really had no idea of what I was "saving" I just grabbed anything that I could and shoved them in the ground. I am pleased to recognize many of my favorite plants (Siberian Iris, Daisies, and Daylilies) and even more excited about the plants I've never had before including Virginia Bluebells. I love the entire garden but I'm not loving the weeds creeping up over my rock border as they launch yet another attack on my garden bed.

However, this isn't the only gift from a Gardening Friend that is currently giving me delight.

Thanks Apple for this bit of fire in my "Adirondack Fire Garden".

And another "Thank You" to Marci for the gift of Sundrops making today Sunny!

A Gardening Fairytale

Once upon a time a pretty flower blossomed in a pretty little flowerbed. The villagers watched over her and tended to her every need. They were so grateful to be blessed with such beauty. Then one day a cool autumn breeze began to blow from across Lake Ontario. It chilled the pretty little flower and she knew she must hide her beauty away. So she faded and she fell. The villagers who had gazed upon her loveliness with such joy were saddened by her retreat and they cursed the cool breeze. The breeze grew angry and vengeful. It vowed to punish the villagers for their foolishness. And so on one cold wintery Monday the cold breeze had it's revenge!
The villagers regretted their angry curses at the cool autumn breeze! And they promised that if they could enjoy spring once more they would be more friendly to the autumn breeze next year. At least they would try. As for the pretty little flower...she still sleeps...Happily Ever After! (until spring).