Come join me at the new Community Grown website and follow along as I search for a new community garden plot for next summer! Here's my first post of the series.
Do you have a favorite community garden in the Vancouver area? I'd love to hear about it!
My poetry post has sat empty for two months. Yes, two whole months. I’m a slacker. What else can I say? It’s been at the bottom of my task list for the past two months. I’d start to work on it but, inevitably, I’d be interrupted by Barnaby taunting me with some form of contraband in his mouth. Last month, he was obsessed with the cardboard roll inside the roll of toilet paper. And this month, he’s hunting my scarves and rain jacket. He’s sneaky and quick, that one. Fortunately, he'll hand over anything for a spoonful of yogurt.
Earlier this week, I was out front pruning back some Japanese Coltsfoot leaves that had toppled over in the rain and onto the driveway. A blue sedan pulled up to my curb with a family of four inside and their dog. The man rolled down his window and waved me over to the car.
He looked over my shoulder at the poetry box and asked, “What gives?”
I hung my head with a smile and confessed, “I’ve been slacking. I’ve been meaning to get to it.”
“It’s just wrong to have an empty poetry box. I’ve been hoping to see someone out here so that I could ask about it. We loved the poems that you were putting in it. I even brought a copy of the E.E. Cummings poem home to my wife.”
“I carry your heart...very romantic,” his wife commented with a smile and touched his hand.
So, here is my new picture and poem in my poetry box. I promise to do my best to keep it full. I had no idea that it mattered so much to my neighbors.
Love in Autumn
It is already Autumn, and not in my heart only,
The leaves are on the ground,
Green leaves untimely browned,
The leaves bereft of Summer, my heart of Love left lonely.
Swift, in the masque of season, the moment of each mummer,
And even so fugitive Love’s hour, Love’s hour to live:
Yet, leaves, ye have had your rapture, and thou, poor heart, thy Summer!
By Arthur Symons
My photo is a runner-up in the Fine Gardening Autumn Garden photo contest. It's the third picture in their slideshow. I won a $50 gift certificate at Santa Rosa Gardens. I'm thrilled and surprised because I forgot that I had submitted my picture.
But, I do remember taking this picture. I took this picture the evening after we returned from our Kitsap Peninsula adventure. I was overflowing with inspiration and felt a wee bit critical of my own garden after visiting overwhelmingly gorgeous gardens and nurseries. Barnaby scratched the door to go outside and as I opened the back door I noticed the evening light touching my oh-so common Japanese Anemone clump. And I picked up my camera and felt myself fall back in love with my garden again as I snapped a few shots.
I'm looking forward to spending my gift certificate. Any suggestions on what I should buy?
Stewartia Monadelpha, commonly known as the Tall Stewartia tree is my favorite tree in our garden. I purchased it two years ago from Tsugawa's Nursery and it continues to charm me.
It greets me as I walk through our garden gate. I normally stop and touch a fuzzy leaf.
Last year, the leaf tips burned while I was on crutches and I was concerned that my tree was unhappy in its new home.
So, I've kept a careful eye on my Tall Stewartia this summer and fall. It's thriving.
I love it's simple white flowers in July.
And the lovely cinnamon bark that decorates our winter landscape.
Right now, I'm enjoying the fiery autumn foliage that looks like it could glow in the dark.
It doesn't, I checked.
I may bring some leaves inside when they drop. Tall Stewartia trees like part shade, acidic soil, are drought tolerant once established, grow 20 to 25 feet tall, don't require pruning, and don't have any pest problems. It's the perfect time to plant one in your garden!
Go check out other garden bloggers' favorite plant of the week at Danger Garden. It's a fantastic meme that inspires more plant shopping!
