Autumn Rose And Autumn Leaf Of The Day #33

 

"The tints of autumn... a mighty flower garden

 blossoming under the spell of the enchanter frost."

 

~John Greenleaf Whittier

 

 

A little beauty, for a coolish autumn day. I grew that rose, well, me and all that the natural world has endured this year. It has really been a metaphor for what I have been through. The Covid left me with deep depression, and an almost complete lack of creativity and the ability to concentrate. It's called Brain Fog, and it apparently affects those over 60 who suffered from the original Omicron variant. It has been a difficult time, but things seem to be getting better. I am beginning to handle stresses better, and I think I have a better outlook for the feature, and as you might have noticed, I am embracing joy again, not fearing it. I don't know how much credit I can take for my rose, they are such hardy plants, but I did know how to care for it. And I know how to care for myself, I just needed to remember what to do.

Hot Cocoa Rose

Berkeley, Ca Autumn 2012 

 

I really miss that garden in the Bay Area. It broke my heart to learn Sandy L. had tore it, and my Japanese Maple tree, out of the garden, out of nothing more then old fashioned spite. But that is her problem. I cared for my roses and that tree, but all she did was make her property worth less money. It's okay. I am not going to spend time thinking about it, because there is nothing I can do about it, but I have the knowledge that I know how to grow a beautiful, strong, spicy rose, and I will always have that happiness inside me. This yellow rose smells like a baked sweet potato with extra clove, cinnamon and honey. Next year, if we find ourselves extending our contract for the condo, I might consider adding another rose or two to the front porch rose garden. Maybe a brand new color I haven't tried before, like Pumpkin Patch or maybe Sterling, but I really loved the Hot Cocoa rose I grew when we lived in the studio. In any case, I want them to look pretty in autumn.

 

~Me

Yellow Fresia And Lavender

"Love isnt all flowers and candles, and dancing midgets.

 No, it is much, much taller than that."

~Jarod Kintz

Love Quotes For The Ages

Specifically Ages 18-81.

Look, See, I made it! Two postings in a row! As I ease back into life anew, Mondays seem to be the day for getting caught up! I was so thrilled to hear from my friend Kat! Lovie, I wasn't sure if you might have given up on me and moved on, so to get a comment from you just made my whole day! And yes, I am taking your suggesstion and I will be doing a video walk through of the house when we are done decorating it! The living room is almost there, we just need to finish the fireplace and get something for the red statement wall! I am learning a lot about color as I move along through the decorating. Next up will be the bedroom, which I am doing in Cornflower Blue, soft lavender and mineral. After that it is on to the hallway, bathroom and finally the kitchen next autumn! I want to let the house show me the way, if that makes sense.

 I want to stay true to it's energy, which from our experience in her the last 6 months, is mostly embracing, gentle and very kind. It's a house that brings you in and gently holds you. It's got such a nice vibe. I felt it from the moment we pulled up in front of it! I hadn't even seen it in the MLS listings. Our real estate expert just decided to add it into the house list for that day! We learned the day we signed the contracts that the previous owned listed it on my birthday! It was meant to be. It was just sitting quietly, in that cute little neighborhood waiting for us, and when we pulled up on the curb in front of the house, Alan and I both immediately remarked on how adorable it was and when we walked in the door the house just seemed to say... 

"Well, what took you so long?"

We have started landscaping the yard. 

Yellow Freesia and Lavender. 

More photos to come soon.

Stay Tuned!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Paul The Second

"A tree with red leaves is like an old man with gray hair.

 Likewise, my love for you was blue, now it's orange,

 and that's a compliment."

Jarold Kintz

This Book Is Not For Sale

Meet our new tree Paul 2! Yes, his name is Paul 2! Why? Well, you see, I had a beautiful Japanese Maple tree when I lived in Berkeley. We picked it out. We planted it. Nurtured it. Loved it. Fed it the best plant/tree food available, and watched it grow for about 6 years. Then, one day, earlier this year, I found out suddenly that I had to move. I had planned to take a cutting from the tree so I could take a new generation of Paul with us, but then we decided to purchase a type of dwelling that made it impossible to take a tree starter with us. Little did we know at the time that our plans would change so profoundly. We ended up buying a house instead, where we could have brought the new tree to, but alas it wasn't to be. Cruel fate had played a dirty trick. 

But it's in the past. I will just have to hope that Paul The First is still thriving among the rose garden I planted, and that he will grow to be a lovely tree, enjoyed by someone, for many, many years to come! But that brings us to Paul The Second. He was a kind of housewarming gift! You see, the wonderful man who owned our new house previously, offered to purchase us a new tree as part of the closing deal! How lovely is that? He even looked till he found me a Japanese Maple! It's not the same variety as Paul The First, but it's lovely in it's own right, and as of yesterday, it's a permanent fixture on the property and member of the family!

Oh, and about the name Paul. Well, our landlord, the one who originally rented to us 14 years ago, was named Paul. He was a terrific man, and always to pleasant to do business with. Unfortunately he was stricken with cancer several years ago, and it just tore his poor body apart. It was very, very sad when he passed away, I still miss him very much. Anyway, when we found out about his passing, we planted the Japanese Maple in the yard in his honor. And in a strange way, we wouldn't be in our new home, had he not rented to us originally. So, Paul The Second is a tribute to a lovely man... and the fate of finding our old place!

Fate.

What a fascinating thing you are!

Leaf Of The Day

September 29th, 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

In The Last Days Of Spring...

Julia Child Rose
June 17th, 2014
My Rose Garden.

"It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside."

~Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy-Tacy and Tib

 
Hot Cocoa Rose
June 17th, 2014 
My Rose Garden

I am officially back in the garden! Alan and I spent a good part of Tuesday planning things out, and next week is when most of the prepping and planning, and planting will take place. It's time to get a move on if I am going to have any fresh flowers and vegetables  for the autumn and winter! My Japanese Maple, Paul, is looking yummy! His leaves are beginning to transition to a lovely copper color, and I am going to try to start a new maple from him.

Son of Paul. LOL. That's an idea! I would love to plant several more around the yard. It is amazing to have that burst of autumn color as the long hot days drag on. It would be a year before I would see the new leaves, but well worth the wait! Summer... a necessary evil to get to autumn! But oh how delicious the summer fruits and veggies are! Only 3 more months to go until autumn, and then hello delicious meals of heirloom tomatoes and eggplant. Fresh salsa and tea sandwiches. When it's from your own garden, there is nothing like it!

Life is good!

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

 

To Dream A Garden

"To dream a garden and then to plant it is an act of independence and even defiance to the greater world."

~Felder Rushing



I just had to post two more photos from the garden. I have been photographing it, for the first time this spring, just over the last couple days. It was time! Everything has bloomed for the first time this season, and over all it's healthy and off to a pretty good start! There is no sign of winter damage, and no signs... knock wood... of aphids! Gosh I hope I didn't just jinx myself just then! You know how it is, you say something positive out loud, and before you know it, it comes back to haunt you!

 But I have it covered I think. This week I plan to do a heavy cinnamon sprinkle in the garden, which will discourage the ants, which discourages the aphids. Gardening is all a matter of timing... luck... sunshine... rain... and love. My garden is a labor of love. Hopefully years after I am gone, someone will rent this little cottage of mine, and really love and appreciate the beauty of the roses, the lavender and Paul the Japanese Maple.

:)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Plans For The Garden 2014

"Planting a flower is like opening a book, because either way you're starting something. And your garden's your library."

~Nora Roberts

 

At the end of the month I will be finished with the plans for the rose garden this year. I am all ready to plant the starters from last season, and I have 2 new varieties all picked out for this year's garden. I am considering some poppies as well. We'll see.



Next will come the vegetables. Heirloom tomatoes as always, but this year I want to return to sunflowers and, if all goes well, some pumpkins! I can't wait! There is nothing like bringing fresh roses in the house from your very own garden!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Thanks A Lot Old Friend!

"A garden isn't meant to be useful. It's for joy."

~Rumer Godden, Power Of Simple Living, By Ellyn Sanna

Sigh...

My rose garden is a never ending source of pure joy for me. There are definite signs that all the trees, shrubs and flowers are about to curl up and sleep for winter. While there is still a little over a month to go, I can ignore the coming chill, but alas, they cannot! But all the roses are strong, and the garden smells like cinnamon, from the heavy sprinkling of the spice to ward off pests, I did over the summer, and the color of the roses against the overcast autumn sky is nothing short of magical... at least to me!

I needed a bit of gardening joy this week! You see, the former owner of the property, that my little rented cottage sits on, sent me a computer virus. Sheesh! How can a businesswoman be so absurd? Not only did she inflict the likes of Donny and Nina on the property, then refuse to intervene when they began to act abusively toward us, but she apparently knows nothing about suspicious email attachments!

Thanks a lot old friend!

I was kind of lucky in that I only lost my photos from the last 14 months, with the exceptions of the posted photos which I save to a cloud. And the computer itself had to be booted back to the factory reset, which means I will be spending the next few days reinstalling programs, but at least I won't have to purchase a new computer! I wouldn't want the expense, or have to deal with Windows 8! Don't get me wrong, I have made my peace with it as far as my laptop goes, but I am much happier with Windows 7 over here on the desktop!

All's Well That Ends Well.

But Seriously... Catie, If You Are Reading This...The Anti-Virus Email Scan Is Your Friend!

Mood: Mildly Irritated, But Happy With The Late Blooming Pink Promise Roses!

~Me :)

Punky's Big Day

"Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He's gotta pick this one. He's got to. I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see."

~Linus van Pelt (Charles M. Schulz) It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

Punky, October 31st 2013


Isn't that a handsome pumpkin? Alan and I looked far and wide before we found the pumpkin that was just right! We found, and met, lots of lovely pumpkins, both here and in Half Moon Bay, but we just didn't see the one who was quite right. Like when searching for your perfect human soul mate, one must look until one finds the perfect pumpkin soul mate. You see, since I was a very small child, I have believed that pumpkins have souls. I came to this conclusion, while growing my very own, very small pumpkin patch in my family's yard. I supervised, while Dad got the ground ready. He and I put the pumpkin seeds in the ground, and I watered, fed and spoke to those seeds, as the vines, and then finally the pumpkins, grew. I got to know those pumpkins, and each one was given a name. It was a practice that helped  to shape the love of gardening I have today! I haven't grown a pumpkin patch in years, but I am saving some of the seeds from Punky 2013, and with a little luck, next year we will have a perfect, and well cared for, pumpkin for Halloween. Wish us luck!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Heirloom Tomatoes Fresh From The Garden... Delicious!

"Cooking requires confident guesswork and improvisation... experimentation and substitution, dealing with failure and uncertainty in a creative way."

~Paul Theroux, Sir Vidia's Shadow: A Friendship Across Five Continents

 

YUM! There really is nothing more tasty than the fruits and vegetables from a garden you have planted and nurtured and grown yourself! This year we did a scaled down version of last years garden. Just two Heirloom tomato plants! Alan had the chance to do a lot more overtime, which was a welcomed evil, but time being what it is meant doing less planting. It's okay, we have some  ambitious plans for next spring, so all is well! And anyway, how can one feel bad, when there are beautiful, fresh tomatoes in the garden, ready to be enjoyed?!

Tonight, I am making my famous meatloaf. Right now that is it's only name. "My Famous Meatloaf." LOL. Maybe I will give it a proper name, and post the full recipe... shrug... you never know. It's probably nothing super special as meatloaf goes, but Alan loves it, and raves about it every time I make it for him. What can I say, he is easy to please. He is a nice man, who just happens to know all my flaws, but loves me anyway, and I guess it's that love for me that makes my famous meatloaf taste so good to him. I fix it for him with a lot of love, so I am glad that comes through in my cooking.

Another sign that it's almost autumn... I LOVE cooking in autumn! Come to think of it, I created this meatloaf one lovely autumn day, a few years ago. I suppose I could name it...

Carly's Autumn Meatloaf!

LOL.

Any excuse to fit autumn into the conversation.

Wink!

How does all this relate to the GORGEOUS HEIRLOOM TOMATOES? Glad you asked! You see, they are going to be cut up, tossed with some tasty, super yummy, French Feta cheese and some wonderful EVOO, and just a dash of fresh ground peppercorns served on the side of the famous meatloaf. Rustic. Simple. Delicious.

YUM!

"Maybe the cat has fallen into the stew, or the lettuce has froxen, or the cake has collapsed. Eh bien, tant pis. Usually one's cooking is better than one thinks it is. And if the food is truly vile, then the cook must simply grit her teeth and bear it with a smile, and learn from her mistakes."

~Julia Child

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

My Rose Garden Update July/August 2013

"Maybe there's a whole other universe where a square moon rises in the sky, and the stars laugh in cold voices, and some of the triangles have four sides, and some have five, and some have raised to the fifth power of sides. In this universe there might grow roses which sing. Everything leads to everything."

~Stephen King
 


My rose garden is doing quite nicely this year, I have only had a little bit of trouble with those nasty aphids, it's just been a low key year for me. I am only adding one new rose this season, as my heart wasn't quite into gardening as in previous seasons. It's good to add slowly though, and give keener attention to the existing roses. I am planning on doing one last pass at the rose suppliers, possibly here in the East Bay, or perhaps in Half Moon Bay. We'll see.

As for the coming week, I will be putting the newest rose in the ground, and perhaps doing some new starters from some of the more delicate roses already planted. As for the Japanese Maple... well... Paul (that's his name) is already transitioning from deep red to the lovely autumn copper. It remains my shining star! Photos to come this week!

Stay Tuned!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Garden Update July 1st 2013

"The serene philosophy of the pink rose is steadying. It's fragrant delicate petals open fully and are ready to fall, without regret or disillusion, after only a day in the sun. It is so every summer. One can almost hear their pink fragrant murmur as they settle down upon the grass: 'Summer, summer it will always be summer.'"

~Rachel Peden

As much as I dislike the summer, and it's oppressive heat, I love what happens to all the roses, leaves and vegetables in the garden! It's gorgeous right now, and it's a happy feeling that it will only get more delicious and fragrant! The next couple months should be stunning!

The Japanese Maple...



The Heirloom Tomatoes...



The Pears...



And to go along with all this loveliness, I got to hear the ethereal musician playing his sax, but today he had some friends playing different instruments along with him. It's lovely. I am so glad he lives in my neighborhood.

:)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

My Rose Garden, June 2013

"It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside."

~Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy-Tacy and Tib

Just a short post today. The vegetable and rose gardens are both taking off. I will have pictures of the Heirloom tomatoes later in the week! I am a happy camper with the garden, but I am having to keep one step ahead of the aphids. It's seems like it will be a big year for those pesky pests.

 

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Face In The Crowd: In My Garden

"I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that."

~Lauren Bacall

I can't believe I hadn't noticed it before, but there it was! A face! I have to admit that I hadn't even noticed it the other day when I took this picture to show the property management company a small amount of damage done by time. It wasn't until I uploaded the photos for editing that I spotted this nice little face looking back at me. The face seems tired methinks. Worn. Maybe a bit sleepy. But such is the life of a fence I suppose. They get animals crawling on them. Rain sometimes. Hot sun. Even the occasional basketball thrown against them. A fence works hard keeping property lines, well, within the lines. And what does the fence get for all it's hard work... well... I have a feeling this poor fence will be replaced soon, but now that I have seen it's face, I almost wish it could just keep on keeping on. Hey, it has an actual personality now, doesn't it seem a shame to just cast it off as if it never did it's job at all? Poor fence! :(

I told you I was overly sentimental. LOL.

Mood: Silly

Barenaked Ladies "If I Had A Million Dollars"

 

~Me :)

Cooking and Photography

Japanese Maple (Spring Deep Cinnamon Colored Leaves)

"Cinnamon bites about kisses simultaneously."

~Vanna Bonta

 

The garden is officially off and running toward harvest. That is a happy things. Just this past week I sprinkled cinnamon all around the yard, with taking special care to sprinkle it a bit heavier around each rose bush and each planter that has vegetables or potatoes growing in it. The yard smells wonderful, and it's nice to know that all those pesky aphids and ants will have NO place to stay while in my yard. I owe whoever discovered that cinnamon drives off garden pests a million thank yous! It is so lovely on warm nights to open the window and let the smell of lavender, and cinnamon, fill the room. As a lifelong insomniac I have always looked for natural ways to get a good night's sleep, and in my search on the Internet I found out that lavender is one of the best scents for relaxing and sleeping, and come to find out that not only is it true, but now I almost can't sleep without it!

 

Both cinnamon and lavender can be found in my kitchen as well. I have a small lavender plant that I purchased at an organic gardening center that I use for cooking. It is amazing when used in small amounts. Lavender Chicken is delicious, but so is lavender honey cupcakes! YUM. YUM. YUM. I have been wanting to try a recipe for lavender ice cream, and with summer just around the corner, doesn't that sound particularly good for dessert on a hot mid summer night? I been considering cooking with edible flowers, and lavender seemed like the perfect one to begin with. The plant itself is low maintenance and very nearly pest free. And the scent... Mmmmmm!

Cooking and photography go hand in hand as my two favorite creative outlets!

So tell me, do you enjoy photographing food? Have you done any organic gardening? Have you ever cooked with edible organic plants and flowers? If so, what did you make, and did it come out as good as you thought it would? What were the pluses and minuses?

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Backyard Photography ~ Garden Diary... April 10th 2013

"You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present."

~Jan Glidewell

My lovely Japanese Maple has transitioned from stick figure to crimson beauty! I am a little caught off guard by how early the leaves have appeared, but I am not complaining! I get to watch this beauty move about now through the rest of spring and summer then turn the most magnificent crayola colors of copper and deep purple as autumn comes and goes. Aww... life in the garden... I love my maple tree, and with the roses surrounding it I feel ridiculously happy inside! And the occasional visit by a little bird doesn't hurt either! Now if I could just talk the opossums into coming back around to!

:)



Lesser Goldfinch...





Coming Soon...

New Roses
Lavender
Spearmint
Heirloom Tomatoes
White Strawberries

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Carly's Garden Digest 2013: Day One... March 25th, 2013

"When one of my plants dies, I die a little inside too."

~Linda Solegato

 

Mumpfh. It's spring now, and sick or not, it is time to get the garden ready for vegetables and flowers. You know... the stuff good living is all about! The yard itself is lush and green, and that's the good news. There is a lot of healthy going on! Just look at the lavender, isn't it gorgeous? I have big plans for my lavender this year, lots of herbal remedies and a sachets for better sleeping! There is nothing like tucking some dried lavender in a light cloth pocket under a pillow. Lavender is amazing for clearing the mind of noise and clouds. Awwww. That's the stuff dreams are made of!

Unfortunately, the rose garden is in a bit of peril. It seems the aphids did a very good job of overwintering, and came back to my rose garden in force! Blech! When I did a once around of the garden yesterday, I found that they had attached themselves in great numbers to half the rose plants, but that left about half in decent shape, with NO signs of damage to them. No black fungus damage or frostbite from that quick chill we had. So, I am counting my blessings, and spending the day preparing for some deep gardening later this week.

I am making a DIY spray to rid the garden of the nastiness. A small amount of cutting back comes next, then I will sprinkle a generous helping of ground cinnamon at the base of each rose, then place some foil on top of the cinnamon, secure the foil with bricks, and sprinkle a little more around the outside for good measure. Once that is done, it will be time to plant between 8 and 12 small mint plants in the ground between the rose plants, and perhaps one or two new, healthy roses (perhaps mini roses) to encourage new growth. Lastly, I am going to plant (3) 5lb pots of lavender against the fence and let it run along the back. It's work, but I have Alan to help me, and it's going to be amazing a couple months from now.

You'll see!

Here We The Before View...


If All Else Fails, I Will Do What I Did A Few Years Back... Buy Ladybugs!


Pretty Soon... Hello Beauty! :)



"Gardening is cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes."

~Unknown

Mood: Happy but Determined

~Me :)