Starting and Starting Over

It is hard to complain about the weather. Most of the rain from recent storms fell at night. The gentle tapping shooing away any insomnia.  Checking the gauge- in the past several months- the lowest recorded temperature was 39 ° F. It was 55 ° F when Time Warner went on the fritz yesterday morning. Then Blogger liked the images so much, it kept swallowing them. What was ready to post was more scrambled than breakfast eggs. Life is like that. You think you have things in hand, then something out of your control comes up and you need to start over.

In this stage of life, I am simplifying. Breaks in the schedule don't just happen. They are planned. Recognizing that not every meal has to be 4 stars is a relief. Something as simple as Potato Leek Soup aided into being by the Knorr packet is truly gastronomic when puddled into bread bowls heated in the oven while the soup cooked. A sprinkling of parsley and chives and we could both happily enjoy the twin movies. More importantly, we could enjoy each other's company.

My husband is an engineer by profession. If you've ever known an engineer well, you know they can work horrendous hours. The engineer's job is to make the impossible, well, possible. Divining discoveries and coordinating with existing systems- it gets complicated. To be successful- the needs of the customer need to be structured to solve. On time. On budget.

How my husband does what he does, not a handful of people truly understand. But not everything has to be understood: as long as it works. When my husband's signature is attached to any project, the reliability is assured.

If there be any young person reading, understand this. When you are married, it isn't about yourself. It is about the other person. That is equally true for the husband as for the wife. To finish well, one in the other's arms, you need God's blessing- for which He requires your cooperation in all matters of Love and Respect.

'Red' Valerian reliably reseeds in a regal purpley-pink.

"To fill a garden with roses is like filling a vase with flowers - only grander. "



That is what I submitted when asked for a quote for the March 2011 Weeks Roses Newsletter. While the wedding/ writing schedule has slowed my own garden renovation - that sentence takes me back to the year I was a worker- bee constructing bouquets for the Academy Awards.

The lead floral designer started with the strongest features, then filled in.

I have decided that To plan a garden as though it is a grand bouquet is a strong strategy.



Angel Geranium and Santa Barbara Daisy add seasonal charm, texture and feminine ambiance



Successful garden design matches the garden to the people who live with it.  

At the florist shop, I am drawn to mixed bouquets. The kind that appeal to the heart more than intellect.  While I understand the appeal of  analogous and monochromatic displays of long stemmed beauties presented in gleaming vases, such arrangements and such gardens- they are not authentic to who I am.



Roas 'Julia Child' is a favorite yellow



The arrangements I have chosen over the years are overwhelmingly colorful, cheerful- disarmingly casual. Abundantly filled, I adore the type of bouquet where there is an involuntary response to lean over and breathe the scent in. This taste in floral arrangements will guide this slow redesign of a mature garden.

To achieve the garden of your dreams, the design must be authentic to your vision of paradise. To define what your is, drop by the florist. Pick out an arrangement. Take it home and study why it appeals to you.