Open Post and Garden/Cat Update!

[kimberlysteele]

Please post about anything and everything, but keep in mind I delete profanity.
 

The purple spurge in the corner opposite the purple clematis is hiding the gas meter!

My husband built the path right over the sunken sidewalk — it used to be a big puddle every time it rained.

The formal part of the garden. I don’t do well with boxwoods so I am thinking about alternatives. Suggestions welcome.


I installed a Proven Winners irrigation system for the pots this year.


Hubby plans on redo-ing the back herb garden paths in brick.
The herbs in the circle are mint, sage, monarda, catmint, skullcap, and yarrow with the ubiquitous Stella d’Oro daylilies in the middle.


Tommy and the other ferals love the herb garden.


Back towards where Kiki is buried. The big bush is a pussy willow that only five years ago was some donated sticks trimmed from my next door neighbor’s tree!


The milkweed is from seeds foraged from the local forest preserve about five years ago.


Here is the tree I named Grogu Oakinawa Oakenfold. He was a volunteer in one of my garden beds about three years ago. I planted borage and black eyed Susans around him.


Cedric! Remember him? He’s a big boy now — he’s taller than me. Though that’s not saying much…


Shadow, who is strictly indoors even though he was born to Miss Piggy the feral outside. He’s turned into a sweetheart.
I give all of my kitties, indoor and feral, a powdered lysine supplement to keep them healthy.




Ashley Amore Reed. He’s my sweet darling, also strictly indoors. He is from the local Humane Society. He is the one I give calendula oil to heal his inflamed gums and digestive issues.

Comments

Garden and spirit advice

[(Anonymous)]

Your plants look so happy and healthy! I'm just beginning to learn about gardening...I hope someday my yard looks as lovely as yours.

Do you have any advice for how to communicate with the land spirit(s)? I've had a couple flashes of communication (a voice stating "I want more purple." Definitely didn't come from me. A ghost who used to live here? Mother Earth? The yard spirit? I have no idea. Also, got the feeling someone was not happy with the rather aggressive weeding I did.) I'd like to be respectful and have a positive relationship with the spirits here but don't know how.

Re: Garden and spirit advice

[kimberlysteele]

Aww, thank you. Keep in mind I plant lots of hard to kill plants such as sedums, Russian sage, herbs, and daylilies. I still kill plenty of them all the same.

Hmm, because I wasn't there, I'm not sure who said "more purple!". Could have been any of the above. You can't please all of the spirits all of the time, so try not to worry about your aggressive weeding. When we moved into our house seven years ago, the yard had two big, mostly dead elms in front that threatened to fall on the house. It was very sad, but I paid to have them cut down.

In order to get in touch with your land, go into your yard with bare feet and/or sit down in the middle of it and mentally communicate some of your visions of what you would like to do. Take notice a few weeks later of the kind of weeds that spring up from where you walked or sat. That is the Earth talking to you and trying to heal you. If they are edible or medicinal weeds, cut some of them and either eat them right away or dry them or tincture them. If you can thank the land for helping you to live there, that will go a long way. Most humans are ungrateful creatures who never take time to appreciate the ground under their feet. If you can be one of the few who is grateful, the land will be much more friendly. The best fertilizer is the sweat of the gardener.

Re: Garden and spirit advice

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you, I will try that : )

I had to get some sick and damaged trees taken down too. It's a sad thing. But there are lots of tree seedlings along one side of the yard, that seem to be growing pretty well.