Carol's Garden

Carol's Garden, a painting by one of my wife's friends

Below are a bunch of reasons I am always reluctant to leave our garden. And when I do always happy to be back. The best is to be out there reading and smoking a stogie.

The painting on the right was inspired by the garden. My wife handles the flowers and vegetables while I do the shrubs, trees and general landscaping design.

Yesterday Vera Pavone stopped by with a gift of 2 more plants while there is little space for them, but I'll manage.

I hope the weather holds for this Thursday as we're doing a memorial/party for my dad for friends and family where we will serve his favorite foods -- plus some edible stuff. He told me, "When I go don't have a funeral, have a party. I'll pay for it." I hope the check doesn't bounce (and yes we did have a funeral). I wrote a piece about my dad for my writing group and after revising it based on their input I will use it to say a few words. Very few so people can eat that Waldbaum's rotisserie chicken he loved so much.

These are from my phone and do not do the garden justice. If only I were a real photographer.... I want to share them with you before I head over to the MORE Happy hour where we will eat, drink and be merry --- and have some great conversations -- and get to see some of the new MORE logos being developed.

Took me years to figure out how to get from deck to patio and a local guy has done work for 25 years for me executed it perfectly.

An offspring from my famous oak leaf hydangea  c. 1987 which is still in my backyard - I have given cuttings to everyone and gardens all over have the babies. At that time it was rare, now all over the place.

Oak leaf next to Daphnoides blue (purple) hydrangea

Vera gave me this as a young Viburnam many yrs ago -- I had no room so put it in my neighbor's yard. Then put in a twin.

Early spring in front

An amazing vibernum - blooms all summer

Side of the house that is not often seen,

An almost dead maple when I got it at Botanic Garden plant sale many years ago. I could stare at it for hours -- and often do.

A little mountain laurel -- a few weeks of bliss

One of 3 smoke bushes I have

Climbing Hydrangea -- the first time it bloomed like this ever -- lots of work pruning to get it like this