Community Garden

We have a son! Yippee! Bear with me please as I say stuff like that. When ever I see my boy, I am instantly transported back to the day he was born. I won't go into it but just know that 31 years later I still feel a need to announce his arrival. Sheesh, doesn't everybody do that?

Now that boy of ours manages an apartment building in a town not too far from ours. The small complex isn't located in the most desirable area I might add, and lacks the amenities of the higher end units on the other side of the tracks if you know what I mean. But ever on the beat to improve the environment of Ford Street Court Apartments and bring a little sun and life into the lives of it's residents, the guy comes up with projects, some of which the head hillbilly and I have helped on. The latest, A Community Garden.

I'll give you a run down of the process from start to finish in pictures, and thereby reducing the chit chat to the bare minimum. I'm talking like thats possible for me when I know dadgum well your not fooled. But lets go ahead shall we?

Ford Street Court Apartments and a little nondescript patch of green.

Hard and weedy but too weak to withstand our assault.

Our potential new occupants are waiting!

I weeded out the big stuff and HH hit it hard with the tiller.

Our grandson quickly seized the new territory for his monster truck.

Next our boy unloaded a yard of compost.

And the whole gang jumped in to spread and mix the compost into the old dirt.

We added two large stepping stones in the center.

And then before you knew it, more folks joined in on the fun.

Everyone who wanted to help was invited to participate and it was fun to chat with the tenants and others who enjoyed observing the process.

Gardens just tend to bring folks together don't they?

We created paths with grass clippings

And then a tenant from the neighboring apartment complex donated some broccoli and got into the planting too.

As we finished up and packed up our tools, I glanced over at my boy and instantly recognized the familiar look of contemplation that comes over him. Moms just know this kinda stuff, am I right? Sure enough he was planning his next project. He somehow felt the garden wouldn't be complete without a fence and that a nice enclosure of some sort would offer the garden some protection and respectability.

And so it goes.

Welcome to Ford Street Court Apartments

Community Garden.

P.S. Hey other side of the tracks, check it out!

Sisterhood

Sisters. I got lots of them. I am from a big family and my older sister and I are less than a year apart. My mom treated us kinda like twins. We frequently wore the same outfits and hairstyles. But we were not a well to do family. Quite the opposite, as is true of many families.

Rit Dye was just the trick for my frugal mother. And a pair of scissors were an artists tool in her hands as she rendered two small toddlers the same hairdo. I cringed at the bobby pins though and did not tolerate them well to the disappointment of my homemaker gone stylist mom. And I haven't mentioned my three older brothers and their dealings with mom and her clippers.

Mmhmm. yeah. One heck of a mom!

So I carry with me by osmosis my mother's frugal sensibilities. And when I want to show my Sibs how dearly loved they are, I only need to look in my own bag of tricks. Here is my latest.

If you have a stash of cards with the little music player inside then you know how long-g-g-g-g-g-g lasting those gizmos are. So why not re-cycle, re-do, re-gift them to the ones you love. Beats standing in Hallmark looking for the perfect card. Been there, done that.

I used a photo from my computer archives, and a Lady Marmalade playing birthday card I received from another sister. I decided to just sign my name to her sentiments, cuz well, were sisters, and we love each other alike.

I crafted an envelope from plain brown craft paper.
Rubber stamped some details,

and




Mooka-choka lata ya ya !

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'.

Didja

You know the feeling. Warm days and cool nights. Fall is coming. Sorry, don't hate me for the observation. But I really feel the waning of summer and the urge to run to and fro in an attempt to squeeze in anything and everything that makes for a memorable summer. My noggin is flooded with so many things I would like to see or do while there are a few more weeks left of this splendid summer, it has me wondering if I have ADHD. And I only mildly think that I may actually have it with all this unsettling to and fro business. And only right now. Only at this time of year. Didja ever feel this way too? I know that this season too shall pass (that's the problem!) and the moments that beg me to ask......



Didja ever wish you could just stuff one more piece of sweet corn, watermelon or pie into your pie hole at the potluck family picnic?






Didja ever hear gregarious laughter from the far side of the picnic shelter, knowing it was Aunt Beverly, #6 child of Great Uncle Donald and she said something hysterical to make the whole table roar and you missed it?





Didja ever ask around about who in the world brought the easy peasy cheesy all american dip complete with classic Ritz crackers and saltines. Please, who?
I love you and your dip.







Didja ever stand and gawk and wonder what cousin brought the great ride that took you ALL THE WAY BACK. Who did this to me? hmmm....

Didja ever stop mid conversation with one person because over their shoulder you spotted two veterans deep in conversation and for the life of you, you wanted to hear every cotton pickin' word??

If I am the only one, I am really alone. Well, 'cept for my good friend ADHD.

Didja ever just look out beneath the family banners, for just a moment, sigh and be glad from the top of your head to the tips of your toes for all these blessings and feel as if you would bust? I did but my brain would only let me think these thoughts for a few split seconds because.....

I needed to scurry on over and ask Aunt Maxine and Aunt Delores (83 and 79 years respectively) the secret for their youthfulness and downright cheerful natures. All this to and fro is exhausting and yet I keep going. Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin, into the future. Or something like that.

Didja ever, ever, ever in your life feel this way too? For those of you who haven't, how much you miss.