Nitty Gritty Dirt Man

The One Lovely Blog Award Goes To . . .

/ Kevin / 40 Comments

Surprises are all around us – like the Petunia above.  It appeared in a flowerpot that holds a Gerbera Daisy.  You see, I didn’t plant this petunia – at least not this year.  If my memory is correct, that color palette was planted a year or so ago – which means that a seed from that planting remained viable for that length of time, and now – surprise!

That feeling – that thrill of receiving something so unexpected – is what it was like when I was contacted by Sara from Real Life Project to let me know she had nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award and the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.  Making this nomination extra-special is the fact that Sara is not a garden blogger.  Instead she covers all topics important to new moms, from parenting to crafts, from wellness to recipes.  And no matter what she addresses, Sara’s goal is to share her life and her process of achieving balance – a very impressive task that is handled with great care, humor, and grace.

Since I have previously addressed the Very Inspiring Blogger Award in a previous post, I am going to concentrate on One Lovely Blog.

  1. Thank the nominator and link to his/her site.  Check.
  2. Share seven things about myself.  Give me a few moments to get my randomness in order, please.
  3. Nominate 10 other bloggers, let them know, and then link to their site from your own.  All in good time, since I have an idea on how to address this one.

Seven random things about myself:

  1. I’ve recently learned that I have titanium in my head.  About 15 years ago, I was in a car accident in which my only injury was a fractured skull (that could explain a lot).  I had two surgeries to alleviate pressure, but it never occurred to me that my skull would have to be held in place with some hardware.  Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I started getting sharp pains along the surgery site.  A CAT scan revealed the metal plates and screws.  The doctor says not to worry, but I have diagnosed myself.  Ladies and gentlemen, this may not be a surprise to you (and it certainly wasn’t to Joe), but I have a screw loose.
  2. 2. I have a rotating list of celebrities who I would like to invite over for dinner. Some past guests have been Madonna (but I have too many of those loathsome hydrangeas in my yard), Oprah (I worried that she would monopolize the conversation), and President and Mrs. Obama (but they never responded to my invitation). My newest dinner guest would have to be Adele.
  3. 3. I am addicted to my iPad, especially the game “Farm Up.”  Trust me: taking care of a virtual farm is hard work.
  4. 4. I cannot solve the Rubik’s Cube, which really has nothing to do with the previously mentioned head injury. 
  5. 5. My all-time favorite board game is Risk.  The problem is no one else liked or likes to play that game.  The charm of playing all six colors has worn off over the years.
  6. My favorite Broadway show is Les Miserables – and to say that I am anxiously awaiting the December release of the film would be an understatement.  If they have one of those midnight showings like they’ve done for the Twilight series and Harry Potter, I am so there – wearing a beret, of course.
  7. 7. An ideal Saturday for me when I was younger was watching television.  “Land of the Lost” to start the day.  Then “Soul Train” and “American Bandstand” by lunch time, followed by a mid-afternoon sci-fi classic like The Day of the Triffids.  And to end the night, a “Star Trek” rerun and “Space 1999.”  Is that the Geek Police knocking at my door?

Now for my nominations.  Since the nomination came from a non-gardening blog, I thought I would nominate non-garden as well as garden blogs.  Here are my ten lovely blog nominees:

  1. Photography by Joylene – I know this is a blog promoting a “business,” but when I visit it, it’s more like a blog promoting a life that is filled with talent, sensitivity, passion, and creativity.
  2. Vickie Szumigala Photo Blog – When I started this garden blog, it opened up a world of other blogging genres – especially photography blogs.  And this site is one of the best – and there are lots of amazing photos of flowers, which I personally think make the best subjects.
  3. Breathe Lighter – The title alone is something we all need to learn to do.  Read each of Debra’s post, and you will be greeted with warmth and a hug.
  4. Cathyann’s Studio – I had the pleasure of “meeting” Cathyann when she asked to paint my dog Murphy for a benefit.  Her site offers so much of her work and talent – and I am impressed when anyone can take some tubes of color and freely create with some strokes.
  5. Outtakes on the Outskirts – Join Julie as she adjusts to rural life.  Each post is filled with humor and honesty about her successes and fails – and always with a smile on her face. 
  6. Gardenhood – Somehow, Cheryl is able to translate her sense of peace and tranquility into words and photos on her blog.  It’s the perfect ending to a stress-filled day.
  7. Canoe Corner – Marguerite’s blog is a journey where she documents her adventure as she builds a new life on Canada’s east coast.  It’s mesmerizing to watch the process and the changes that her dedication brings.
  8. Graphicality UK—I adore this site for so many reasons: honesty, creativity, inspiration – and Helene, the woman who is responsible for all that is graphical. 
  9. Cindyricksger — Here is the blog of a fascinating woman who lives on an island in northern Lake Michigan.  There, she lives, works, writes, and creates — with passion and honesty.
  10. Our Garden Journal – Cathy and Steve, the couple behind this blog, fascinate me.  I love their enthusiasm and passion for gardening, life, and people.  Their warmth is evident in every single post.
  11. Joy in the Moments – The title says it all.  Char is the voice behind the blog, and she sees and celebrates the smallest joys that life offers.   A true treasure!

Now, I’m off to notify my nominees.  In the meantime, I encourage you to click on the links and explore these wonderful sites – you just might be surprised, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Bloomin’ Update 27: Let’s Go For A Walk

/ Kevin / 32 Comments

I read somewhere – and I apologize to whoever said it because I cannot credit you – it’s a shame that so many gardeners keep their gardens locked up in their backyards. How nice it would be if the garden could be in the front yard for everyone and anyone to enjoy as they walk by. 

That was my thought as Joe and I walked around the neighborhood on this first day of summer, strolling by our neighbors’ homes to get a peek and to be inspired by what was blooming.  This is what we found.

To start the walk, we had to pass our Lace Cap Hydrangea. The flowers remind me of speckled Easter eggs.

This would be a close-up of the “lace” in the Lace Cap.

Across the street, we spotted a small bouquet of Dianthus.

Just up the street, another neighbor had Daylilies blooming everywhere.

Another neighbor had cluster upon cluster of Roses spilling over a rock retaining wall.

I couldn’t resist a closer look at the ruffled petals.

This Daylily seemed to scream, “Look into my eye.” So I did.

Around the corner, there were beds of Astilbe in full bloom.

Up close, the pink clouds reminded me of cotton candy.

Around another corner, we discovered a bed of Yarrow growing around a curbside mailbox.

Imagine our surprise when we spotted a bed of Cactus — in flower — a few houses away. The owner, Helen, came running out and offered us a clipping, and then showed us the rest of her front yard garden. We made a promise to return again for a tour of the backyard — a new neighborly friend.

When we returned home, there was time to stop and smell the Lavender.

Happy Summer!

Who’s Your Daddy? I Am!

/ Kevin / 27 Comments

It’s Father’s Day weekend here in the States, and I have daddy issues.  You see,  I do not have children of my own, so fatherhood and this holiday are like an exclusive country club from which I have been barred.  This doesn’t go to say that I don’t know what it’s like to care for and nurture something, because I do.  It’s just that my children aren’t – well, they’re not human.

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Smile, You’re On Arachnid Camera!

/ Kevin / 31 Comments

Have you ever caught yourself looking so ridiculous that you say to yourself, “I’m glad I’m not the subject of a hidden camera show.”

That is my thought each morning as I leave the house, walk to the car, and feel the silky threads of spider webs across my face.  And this morning was no different, as I tried to balance my briefcase and tote bag while frantically wiping the sticky filaments away  —  only to feel them invisibly drag across my ears and into my hair.

When I remember to, I’ll leave the house empty handed – so I can walk to the car swinging my arms in front of me like a malfunctioning robot to knock down any webs that might be at face level.  Then I’ll walk back to the house, grab the brief case and tote bag, and race back to the car before the little buggers have a chance to reload.  (I suppose a broom handle could accomplish the same thing, but that would look odd — wouldn’t it?)

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Book Review: Mentors In The Garden Of Life

/ Kevin / 16 Comments

I’ve always had a green thumb, and I’ve always wondered from where did it come?  Is it something that sits quietly on a strand of DNA, inherited through the millennia courtesy of an ancestral gatherer, Neandernittygritty erectus?  Or is it something learned, passed down through several generations – a horti-oral tradition, if you will?  Or is it information picked up and shared along the gardening path?  Is it perhaps a combination of all three theories?

These were the questions rolling around in my head when I was introduced to an amazing memoir, Mentors In The Garden Of Life, by Colleen Plimpton.  In short, if I ever write a book, this is the book that I would love to write.

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Bloomin’ Update 26: You’re Making Me Blush

/ Kevin / 24 Comments

It’s difficult for me to say at which point that I most enjoy Hydrangeas.  Is it when they’re at their peak bloom time?  Or as they fade into their antique colors?  Or, perhaps, it’s now — when the first blush of color touches each petal?

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Weeding Is Fundamental

/ Kevin / 32 Comments

I love a good weed.  It’s when I feel that I am most in my head, when I do my best thinking, when my imagination wanders up and down and sideways.

That’s the way it was this weekend when I knelt down to begin weeding the bed that’s wedged between a blue stone patio and a row of white pines growing in a bed of ivy behind a low stone wall.  In truth, I began working on this bed weeks ago, when I cleaned it, weeded it, and planted the Gomphrena “Strawberry Fields” that I had started from seed.

And that’s where the work ended.  Now all I see is the Gomphrena swallowed up by a new flush of weeds because I never had the chance or the time to place mulch.  It’s uncanny how the driest stretch of my yard, heated by the surrounding stonework, is the perfect home for weeds.   

As I pulled and yanked, my green world became black and white and I imagined myself in a 1940s film noir flick.  In it, I’m in a chair, a beam of light aimed at me and throwing the far corners of the room into shadows.  There’s a detective hovering above me, hair slicked back, hands on his waste so I can see his gun holstered under his jacket.

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To Garden Or To Blog, That Is The Question

/ Kevin / 38 Comments

And what a question it is.  In fact, it’s a question that has been weighing on my mind very much lately.

Since beginning this garden blog, gardening has become an oxymoron of sorts – an entirely new pastime.  What was once a simple task – something that I could take care of with little thought – has now become, well, post material.  Everything is fair game.  Weeding is no longer an act of pulling and discarding.  It’s now an opportunity to write, to inform, to be witty.  It’s a photo op – and how many of you have tried to garden with one hand while holding a camera in the other?

And so my dilemma.  Do blogging and the need for content take away from gardening or does gardening interfere with blogging time?  Does one need to suffer for the good of the other, or can both activities find a balanced and peaceful coexistence?

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Bloomin’ Update 25: A Weekend To Remember

/ Kevin / 29 Comments

Welcome to the holiday weekend.  For many, it’s a time for sales and sand, barbecues and beaches.  For me, it’s a time of marathon gardening.  I still have so many plants that have to get into the ground — and I’m never quite sure how I end up in this position each year.  I try to pace myself, but inevitably, I fall behind.  

So, here is my whirlwind.

First, there is the issue of the May curse — better known as Oak pollen.  It assaults me as soon as I step outside.  When the wind blows, it looks like it’s raining worms — and when enough of it gathers on the ground, it looks like tumbleweeds.  Actually, I’m okay with pollen when it’s on the ground.  It’s when it’s in the air, in my throat, and in my eyes that I have an issue that requires a tissue.  Ahhhhchooooo!

Then the Liriope needs a haircut.  Last year’s growth is a little worn from the winter, but emerging in the nest are fresh green spears.  With my grandmother’s scissors, which are small enough to maneuver so I don’t cut the new growth, I snip a little here and snip a little there.

Voila!

Time to plant the Dahlias.  If you have Dahlias that will grow tall enough to require staking, here’s a quick tip.  Plant the stake at the same time that you plant the Dahlia.  This will prevent any accidental spearing of the Dahlia tuber if you place the stake later on in the season.

Joe calls me to the front yard.  We have a robin’s nest in the tree, and there is a clear view of the three hatchlings.  So I pulled out a ladder, climbed up, and snapped a few photos — all the while staying alert for any adult robins that might attack me.  I’m a little jumpy when it comes to birds since my head has been targeted three times.  But the baby robins are cute, and we are both hoping that they survive.

At last, it’s time to take a look at the reds . . .

Rose.

Gerbera Daisy.

the whites . . .

Peony.

Rhodendron.

and the blues . . .

Spiderwort.

Dive in.

and to remember that this holiday isn’t about sales and sand, barbecues and beaches, nor plantings and pollen.

Happy Memorial Day. 

Terracotta Love: Now That’s Amore!

/ Kevin / 26 Comments

I’m in love with a terracotta pot.  I’m not sure if that’s even possible, but the truth is there is one pot in my collection of which I’m especially fond – and each spring when I remove it from its winter storage, it’s like reuniting with a long lost love.  I know its curves and warm tones and textures.  I accept all of it, even the irregular sizes of its pockets.  Yes, the terracotta pot of my dreams is the three-foot tall strawberry pot.  And today is the day that I am going to demonstrate my love for it.  It’s planting day.

The pot holds a place of honor in the garden, nestled among ferns and hostas and bleeding hearts.  It’s tall enough that it provides not only a focal point, but some vertical color in an area of the garden that is heavy with foliage.

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