“I was a writer long before I was a gardener. Like most writers, I’m in the habit of looking for interesting characters everywhere I go. So it’s no surprise that my garden is not the color-coordinated, beautifully designed, soothing outdoor space it could be. It’s more like a crowded bus terminal filled with people who have mysterious inner lives-unmentionable pasts and unknowable futures. The inhabitants of my garden are all characters in some horticultural novel written across the pages of my front yard”. –Amy Stewart, Sunset April 2009
I love this quote from Amy Stewart because even though I have good intentions of designing well, I really just want to plant what I love. So I design by putting some color contrasts in place, but I love everything there, so they are all a bunch of characters. Here are some lovely re-seeding biennial Canterbury Bells with Pink Friesland salvia hiding my new antique milk can, and some marigolds in front. (I simply adore Canterbury Bells!)
I started these Cherry Brandy Rudbeckia from seed last year and this year they are coming up great. The photo doesn’t really do justice to the lovely dark red and orange-red color. These are some of my favorites blooming right now.
My new antique iron wheel is set off by blooming purple catmint on the right, bee balm in the middle, and a really cool plant on the left called Redbirds in a Tree. See why my gardens are like a crowded bus terminal?
Now to the vegetables: keeping up with the garden without kids at home is harder, but doing it with a husband recuperating from rotator cuff surgery is really hard. I’ve despaired that we would get any vegetables this year, but with some serious weeding the last couple days I’ve found the vegetables. Yay! Turns out we’re going to get some after all. We’ve got tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, squash, beans, and potatoes going out there. I’ve included a photo Scott took of me repairing the irrigation ditches because he always gets amused at me playing farmer.
Ok so for the news on my transfer. So now I am serving in Mission Viejo as the district leader of the Mission Viejo Spanish District. I cover the entire Mission Viejo stake, and the ward that I am serving in, (the Mission Viejo 5th Ward), covers three stakes! So there is one companionship assigned to each stake and there are 6 missionaries in the ward. We cover the cities of Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Ladera Ranch, and Wagon Wheel. President Cook told me that they are putting me in position so that I can train here soon. The district is small, only 6 missionaries, and they are all great, so this will be a really nice transfer, where we can get a lot done!! We have a full-time car (covering 4 cities), but the car got wrecked a few days before I got here, so we were walking and hitching rides until a few days ago when we got the car back. The area has a ton of potential, and historically has always seen a lot of success. Right now, we don’t have a whole lot going on, but we will see here in a little bit and hopefully we can get things rolling!
