Category: garden

  • ping


    not afraid to come out of his shell, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    Given the lovely spring weather of late, I’ve been spending late afternoons weeding my garden. Because of all the rain, the weeds this year are nearly as tall as I am. Fortunately the soil is soft and the weeds and their roots pull easily.

    If you were around my garden today, every few minutes you would have heard a faint pinging sound. Like a bell ringing somewhere in the distance.

    But it wasn’t a bell. It was my snail eradication strategy. I don’t have the heart to squoosh the little fellas, so I gather then up by the handful and lob them over my fence. Most of them end up hitting the chainlink fence just beyond mine, causing the hollow metallic ping.

    I suppose it’s not much more humane than the squoosh. But I do feel a bit less guilty.

    Note: the snail above is one of the few that didn’t end his life sailing through the air and out of my garden. He lived on the iris stems in my flowerbed for a good long time last spring. :)

  • seedlings


    sweet peas, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    Planted some sweet pea seedlings today in pots on my back porch. Also repotted a poppy plant.

    From the looks of the little buds, I should have flowers in a week or so if the sunshine continues.

    Can you believe that in SoCal Spring isn’t just around the corner anymore–she’s relaxing on the couch, propping up her feet on the coffeetable, and making herself at home. :)

    Note: the sweet peas in this pic are from a favorite garden near mine–the one with the labyrinth….

  • beauty


    lantana red, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    can’t type much. carpal tunnel flare-up day.
    sending some warmth your way today…
    :)

  • weathered


    bunny, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    This wee bunny statue is a favorite in my garden. We found it churned up during the rototilling of an adjacent empty garden plot. I suspect that this little critter has observed many growing seasons.

    I am attracted to the weathered, the vintage, and all that is chipped and worn with age. A new bunny statue would hardly catch my eye. But this one…I can stare at it for hours.

  • for you


    poppy, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    Sending a bit of orange your way. To warm your day.
    :)

  • when life gives you lemons…


    lemon tree, oh so pretty, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    When we moved into our new home we found a lovely lime tree just off the side of our back porch. CatGirl made a superb key lime pie from the fruit and we’ve using them in various recipes and beverages. The limes were uncharacteristically tasty and sweet.

    Lo and behold, when I was snapping pics on the back porch today I looked up to the tippity top branches of the tree and discovered…lemons. So I guess it’s a lemon tree. Yum!

  • resolve


    This may well be a resolution worth keeping.

  • vanilla-ish


    smells like vanilla, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    My New Year’s resolution: to fill my life with more vanilla. Seriously, it is my favorite scent (apart from the musky odor of John’s skin).

    I’ve had several goes at growing heliotrope (pictured above) and each time I’ve either given it too much sun, too small a pot, or forgot to tell a garden-sitter to water it (they are surprisingly unobtrusive and thirsty little plants). This year, I commit to growing it successfully. Because life is so much fuller when one grows vanilla-scented flowers…

    Oh, and now that the new year has begun, I will indulge and buy some of my very favorite vanilla almond tea with a bit of my Christmas gift money. I tried to go wholly fairtrade with my tea and it just hasn’t worked for me yet. I need my afternoon cup of comfort…

  • arbor


    sky 1, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    A pic of some climbing roses on an arbor at the Huntington Library. Taken in the rose garden today on my way to the Japanese Garden.

    Stole into the grounds before they opened to the public this morning (I didn’t do anything too sneaky–“readers” are allowed access to the grounds whenever they want). Spent time in the Japanese garden all alone until a worker came to feed the koi fish. Felt a lot of peace and renewal there. It was just what I needed.

    Isn’t the sky the most amazing color of blue!!
    :)

  • the doorway


    red oak lettuce, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    h/t to Superhero for this gem

    Praying

    It doesn’t have to be
    the blue iris, it could be
    weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
    small stones; just
    pay attention, then patch

    a few words together and don’t try
    to make them elaborate, this isn’t
    a contest but the doorway

    into thanks, and a silence in which
    another voice may speak.
    -Mary Oliver

    The photo above is of a red leaf lettuce plant in my garden. Yum!

  • fresh


    strawberries, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    I picked these strawberries in my garden this morning. Along with a bagful of lettuce for my lunch salad. I also picked a zucchini and some basil for our homemade pizza dinner tonite.

    Yum :)

    UPDATE: This really was today, this is not a ‘classic’ post from summertime!

  • Make me smile…


    rose and ned, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    Watering the garden around midday and the children from the nearby preschool walk by. They squeal with delight as they say hi to their beloved elephant friend Ned, who lives in our garden. Ned guards the flowerbed along with a few other friends including a dalmatian puppy, a turtle, a koala bear and my wingless cherub.

    If you look close at the pic above you can see Ned’s outline in the background. :)