I'm Back!!

         Hello Diggers ,                                                                                                    Sorry if you have been looking for any clever ditties from me recently, I have been sick as the proverbial dog could be! Very tedious and unpleasant Doctor's visit yesterday, thank God in His infinite wisdom sent a friend that drove me or I probably never would have gone and still been under the covers! Guess what, girls, I'm getting Botox in a couple of weeks!!! Too bad it won't be on my wrinkles!! There is a plus side to seeing this wonderful Doctor. She is a huge fan of "digging" and most of every appointment is spent talking about her garden and mine. The first time I was waiting for the O.R. she brought me a huge pot of hardy Geraniums;Two colors! They have taken quite a hold in one corner of my bed. Another time she brought me four Gold raspberry shoots. Somewhere in the middle of these trips to Day surgery I have delivered to her many many boxes of the plants that I have had to thin out. That is the sort of relationship I wish I could have with all the people that send me a bill. Free plants! Yesterday we discussed pruning her raspberry plants. When I made that long flower bed this summer on the side of my house, I put the plants she gave me in a special spot along with 3 red and 4 black raspberry plants I was holding to one side. They are all staked and have a big covering of mulch on them. I actually thought I saw one of them smile at me.                                                                                                    You have noticed I mention the "debris dump" in our town a lot. I am amazed what people throw out. One time, there were a pair of really expensive garden gloves soaking wet and inside out. THAT was why they were left!!!So I picked them up, turned them right side out and now they live in my glove compartment of my truck. That got myself and my brother wondering, How many people actually have gloves in their glove compartments?????Ever think about that? Do you? Another time someone threw 3 bags of red cedar mulch away. Well, they practically jumped in my truck and I used them to mulch my whole Hosta bed. During the season, when I see organic matter I always grab it. Not only is it free, it improves the soil so much in a couple of years it has the consistency of chocolate cake. Just check to make sure it has no seed heads in it. Your garden will love you for it.                                                                               

         Which brings me to one of my favorite things. My S10. It is my second one, the first, along with about 75 feet of stockade fence got taken out by a drunk driver. I have had larger trucks,(a big Swing-line Dodge with a slant-6 engine named Bertha) but the smaller one is easy to maneuver for me now. It even has hand controls to keep me driving. There is a lot to be said for a pack-rat owning a truck. I have gotten several bureaus, two rattan barrel chairs (in MINT condition) about four bookcases, assorted wooden shelves, three hutches, 2 luggage butlers (one I sold at the flea market for twelve dollars) and so the list goes on. As I drive down the street,I can spot a great find a block away! It's a gift,I guess. My mother would have disagreed though.                                            

            Now that this season is over, there is just feeding the birds and shoveling to look forward to.  And those catalogs!!! Oh those catalogs! From now on I have decided only to buy the RE-BLOOMING iris. Plant it once, see it twice. Wish all plants could do that. I have gotten faithful about dead-heading other stuff, and the benefits of extending roses and Dianthus are second nature to me now.            There is one plant that I think every garden MUST have. Corydalis Lutea. What is it with this spell checker!!Didn't it take Latin in school?? Any way, this is a delightful little Fumewort. Pale yellow. Kind of looks like a bleeding heart. I grow it anywhere and it forms delightful little colonies . It is for zones 4-8. Another must have since I am on a promotion gig is Feverfew. Again with this spell checker!!!! I let this spread anywhere it wants to as well, and it smells kinda like Chrysanthemums. Well I guess that wraps this one up for now,    keep digging!