Lollygagging

There is a distinct change in the air. I feel it. Don't you? Crisp morning air. The sun a little lower in the afternoon sky.  And grasshoppers popping up from the dry grasses as I pass by.  Nature's signal that summer is on the wane.

 Internally, my heart quickens as I know we have much to do yet to have our home remodel project weather ready, gardening chores attended to, and time, precious time to find for late summer lollygagging. Yes, lollygagging! Glorious mindless wandering, dilly dallying, or shilly shallying about in the late summer sun.  If I am not forth coming with a lollygagging report soon, well, I hope someone will hold me accountable. :D

Repurposing

It's really satisfying when we can repurpose old materials into our home building projects.  So much, the old stuff is far superior to what one will find in today's lumber yards. Not to mention the visual appeal of vintage. Several years ago we stock piled several square footage of tongue and groove boards removed from a friends home remodel project  in Astoria, Oregon.  The cost? One 10" home made apple pie. Booyah!

We planed the old boards, sanded up the rough spots and they are now the underside treatment of our roof overhang.  Ditto on the Booyah.

And in the garden.....

Connectivity.  My maternal great grandmother was a sharecroppers wife who grew fabulous hydrangea in the Arkansas hard pan.  I can only imagine possible by the soil amending courtesy of the family cow.  I don't remember my great grandmother, she passed in my infanthood, but I know her.  I know her everytime I look at my Nikko Blue hydrangea.

The other day, my grand daughter presented me with this mini bouquet picked from my garden.  There is the hydrangea.  And the connectivity. One day, perhaps by instinct, a hydrangea will grace this young ladies garden too.

I hope your end of summer to dos are creative and meaningful with ample time set aside for aimless lollgagging too.  

 I find lollygagging so much nicer with tea.  How bout' you?

Bouquet

Always frugally minded I am. So this past September, mid September to be exact, I was searching the garden for blooms to decorate picnic tables for a family gathering in our local park. Now I am not a great cultivator of FLOWERS. So I did feel a little flustered because I never feel prepared for these things. I always have some glossy magazine image stamped firmly in the forefront of my bean. I begin to mentally fret before realizing I must do what I can with what I have at hand, right where I'm at. (hmm... where have I heard that?)

My garden beds are predominately perennials and do not have much in the way of standard blooms for arrangements. But I would not be deterred in my search. Here is what I came up with.

I was pleased!

My simple arrangement was not only really quite lovely but the scents from adding some herbs was delightful as well.

I was happy to start with something traditional and familiar like Hydrangea. The Nikko Blue is an amazing cultivar if ever there was one. Once in bloom this home garden stalwart will change like a chameleon with the seasons. From it's original blue back to green, then gray with touches of purple. I love it.

From the herb garden, I came up with some spikes of Russian Sage (not a true herb, but fragrant perennial), Lady's mantle, and some Basil that had went to bloom. I also had a few stems of Chocolate basil that had lavender hued blooms. I wish I could of had a few more stems of those purpley brown leaves for contrast. A few sprigs of dill and it's done.

Here are few other options I am keeping in mind for future arrangements.

Tomatillos! Why not?

Their dangly paper shells appear first to eventually fill with the actual tomatillo. My plants were covered with them at the end of the season.

Purple Sage.
Their hues mimic the coloring of the hydrangea I used. More fragrance to boot.

Same goes for the Echinops ( purple globe thistle).
Another lovely gray/purple perennial. It's round spikey globes would definitely add some interest.

Lady's Mantle (alchemilla mollis).
I always love it's frothy look in any arrangement.

My noggin's full of ideas, just waiting to be tried. How bout' some raspberry stems with bright tell-tale fruit just hanging on at the end of summer for a touch of red. The spiky blue tops of Anise Hyssop ( Agastache), or tiny clustered Oregano tops. It's not all about pumpkins and gourds folks.

And.... if you're super duper lucky.... after collecting all your garden goodies...

You might convince your sister to put together another half dozen bouquets for you.

Now we're talkin'.