Our big excursion today was a visit to our favorite local garden center (Siebenthaler, same people as the Fen).  It’s like crack for me; we have to exercise extreme restraint, since we’ll be moving, and have to conserve funds.  I love wandering through the green houses; I feel completely at home.  I guess I really miss my old hort job, and talking shop.  I have to make myself not start weeding and cleaning.  Somehow we managed to get out of there with not too many more plants than were on our list.  I “finished” (gardener euphemism for work-in-progress) installing perennials and annuals in our ornamental front bed, and mulched it.  I made E a hanging fuchsia basket for the porch.  I bought some additional herbs to supplement those that hadn’t done well in our toxic soil, and refilled the empty windowsills.  I planted the last of my veggie seeds in pots outside.  Please feel free to admire some sample scenes:

First, a proud mother shoutout to my son Avdi, who is the best person who ever happened to me.  He’s a hard act to follow!  I look up to him very much, and hope he gets a break one of these days.  Cheers!  I miss him every day.  I hope to remedy that as soon as possible.

Next, I couldn’t be luckier to have my daughter-in-law Stacey, who is more like a friend and daughter I never had.  Also an excellent Mother.  She works way too hard, and never gets a day off.  Slainte!

I called my own mother this morning.  That’s always been a difficult relationship for me, even more so since she’s had Alzheimer’s and leukemia, and barely remembers anything.  The role reversal thing while caregiving was a bitch.  She still knows who I am, unlike my father before he died, so that’s something.  But it’s like talking to a ghost.

It’s a sad day for E, who can never be a mother, but feels the losses like one.  Her own mother hatefully rejected her, and lives in some confused selfish delusion.  Her living children likewise.  Her grandchildren have been cruelly withheld from her.  So M-day for E is more like M for memorial.

I guess every family has its dysfunctions and challenges.  I feel pretty fortunate to be part of a surviving family that is uniquely nonconventional, tolerant, and inclusive.  They are those things toward us, which says a lot for them.  I know I’ve been challenging at times!  Where would I be without them?  And for E, they’re like a foster family that she never had.

Ok, enough rambling.  I’ll just say to all the mothers out there who are exhausted, under-appreciated, or grieving the loss of their own mothers, whether dead or to all intents and purposes gone, stay strong and keep on doing what you do, with the family you do have, blood or otherwise.

Here’s a pretty columbine.

Outside the nature center, a fat chipmunk was so busy fighting the squirrels and birds for food, he ignored us!  There was a bright yellow bird (goldfinch?) on a feeder, along with all kinds of woodpeckers and others.

My mother is a demented shadow of her old self, and E’s is a dysfunctional, delusional mental case who abandoned her, so we decided to do our own thing the day before Mother’s Day to salvage something meaningful.  We made a fun day of it, while avoiding the insanity that is actual M-day.

First we went to a yard sale sponsored by Glen Helen Nature Preserve, to donate to their good cause.  I got some great books, and E got some household items.  Then we hiked the trail to the falls and through the woods, where there were some beautiful wildflowers and trees.  As usual. I’ve divided the photos up into several posts.

Last but not least, we bought a few things at our favorite shop in Yellow Springs, Ravenwood, and then adjourned to our HQ, the Tavern, for craft beers and food.

Here are some of my favorite trees, and some tree-huggers.

Before dinner we went hiking at Charleston Falls, after a long time away.  Of course the falls were beautiful, as usual.  But best of all, the rocks were full of one of my very favorite wildflowers, bright red and yellow wild columbines, growing right out of the steep cliffs.  I can’t get enough of them, they’re so amazing.  I took so many photos of them alone, I’ll devote one whole post to them.  There were lots of other beautiful wildflowers and other cool plants, and lovely streams and pools.  And last but not least—The THorny Badlands!  (I just like saying THorny Badlands.)

Just some typical scenes from around the “waiting room”, keeping spirits up while we wait for all the pieces to finally fall into place.

I’m making salmon with fresh homegrown herbs, fresh roasted asparagus, and an herby baked pasta casserole.

Skully and mini-Skully say l’chaim!

Today it was cold and drizzly, a perfect gardening day for me!

First, I banished the deceptively pretty but evil invasive garlic mustard bushes, white flowers and all, from my front bed.  Synchronicitously, some landscaper neighbors who were just driving by complimented my garden, and gave me a peony plant from a job they were doing!  E loves peonies!  And I had just created the perfect space for it!  Things like that are always happening.

Around the peony, I planted some dark opal basil seeds, and in the other vacated space behind it, I planted a row of bronze fennel seeds, to act as an ornamental backdrop as well as a culinary herb.

I transplanted some arugula and older greens from the “salad bed” to the shade side of the house (where I had also transplanted all the mints), to make room for some French shallot sets and some Asian long lavender eggplant seeds.  Space is at a premium here at our tiny temporary abode, so I have to be resourceful and efficient.

Finally, I potted some remaining seeds I had left of Hidcote blue lavender, angelica, cumin, white sage, and lemon balm, to join my cilantro and oregano on windowsills.  The rest are outside, along with St. John’s Wort.

I don’t expect anyone but myself to get excited about (or even bother reading) this garden homily, but it keeps me occupied and out of trouble(?).

“NOW SEEDS, START GROWING!”  [Arnold Lobel, Frog and Toad Together.]