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You are here: Home / Garden Chats / Sunday Morning Garden Chat: Athenian Spring

Sunday Morning Garden Chat: Athenian Spring

by Anne Laurie|  April 9, 20175:20 am| 143 Comments

This post is in: Garden Chats

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Dedicated commentor and all-around great guy, Raven:

Here’s a few shots I took last evening.

The boss is particularly please with her Spanish Bluebells.

The Cowboy is a screen door grate we bought in New Orleans years ago, when the deck came down we had to find another place for it so it’s on a rose trellis for now.

The “Raven” is a nice piece a friend made after the little fella died. I made a little memorial out of an old wheel barrow.

The dogwoods [top photo] are going nuts and the Japanese Maple is looking good.

***********
…. Aaaaaand it’s still ragged-end-of-dead-winter, here in New England. But if we get a few more sunny days, there’s lots of buds just poised to blossom. Some of the trees are already doing so, if my pollen-sensitive histamine system is any indicator…

What’s going on in your garden (planning) this week?

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Reader Interactions

143Comments

  1. 1.

    SiubhanDuinne

    April 9, 2017 at 5:25 am

    Wow, raven, those photos are gorgeous! Georgia and Spring were made for each other, weren’t they?

    Love the bluebells, love Raven’s memorial, and simply adore the gingerbread trim on your house!

  2. 2.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 5:27 am

    See raven, knew it would be this week! Place is looking good, compliments to the boss. And I’m especially jealous you already have lilacs. I’m going to have to scout around to find some to enjoy this spring, since it will be a few years before the ones I plant here bloom.
    May have to check at the old house if it’s still not sold in a few more weeks.

  3. 3.

    Mustang Bobby

    April 9, 2017 at 5:32 am

    Beautiful setting, raven.

  4. 4.

    HeleninEire

    April 9, 2017 at 5:37 am

    Beautiful.

  5. 5.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 9, 2017 at 5:46 am

    Lilacs. I’s jealous. Mine got froze :-(

    After the torrential rains this past week, today will be our 4th day in a row of sunshine and no water falling from the sky. I may yet get to finish tilling the garden. While waiting for that I’ve been working on a “flower” bed. In quotes because I have no idea of how it’s going to work out. Unlike your wife Raven, I just can’t ‘see’ what it will look like in a year or even 6 months. A stack of lumber and trusses, sure. Plants? Fuhgedaboudit.

  6. 6.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 5:51 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: Rainy and cold here for days, clearing up finally right when I had to go back to work. Beyond frustrating, because I have 9 shrubs to get into the ground now, Menards had a great sale in roses, so I bought three more. $3.99, how could I not?

  7. 7.

    Baud

    April 9, 2017 at 5:59 am

    Beautiful, Raven.

  8. 8.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 9, 2017 at 6:03 am

    @satby: Plants are rain magnets. The chances of rain double as soon as a new plant sets root in the bed of my truck.

  9. 9.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 6:04 am

    raven, that’s a great picture of the gingerbread on the house too! I remember you mentioned it before on a thread. I think your house and garden are wonderful.

  10. 10.

    Aleta

    April 9, 2017 at 6:20 am

    That trim’s exquisite. The house color and all the colors. You seem to live in Technicolor.

  11. 11.

    Jeff

    April 9, 2017 at 6:36 am

    Got out to mow the weeds, formerly known as the lawn, yesterday.

  12. 12.

    raven

    April 9, 2017 at 6:39 am

    Thanks ya’ll.

    The gingerbread was salvaged from a house my FIL took down in Appomattox. Somewhere I have the picture of the one-armed Confederate officer on his horse in front of the house but unfortunately you can’t see the gingerbread. We are in a historic district and I didn’t pull a permit to put it up. I always figure if anyone said anything I’d just claim they were under the house when we bought it. Incredibly the roof pitch of both houses was the same so they went in pretty easily. Somehow she got them to fit in the back of her little Honda Civic for the 7 hour drive from Appo to Athens!

    The boss has been to two big plant sales since I took these shots so there are new sprouts all over now!

  13. 13.

    raven

    April 9, 2017 at 6:41 am

    @Aleta: I take zero credit for any of that. The girl is obsessed with color and she always agonizes when she picks one and, usually , doesn’t like it for a month or two after it’s done. I just sit back and marvel.

  14. 14.

    raven

    April 9, 2017 at 6:47 am

    This is our rental house that is next door. You can see that her pop made the gingerbread on the porch that are the same as on the roof pieces and we have them on our porch as well. He was an old school builder and architectural engineer and the two of them did wonders. I, on the other hand, was a hod carrier.

  15. 15.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 6:50 am

    @raven:

    The girl is obsessed with color and she always agonizes when she picks one and, usually , doesn’t like it for a month or two after it’s done.

    The boss and I are similar in that regard ?
    Still deciding paint colors for the rest of my house, and it took me forever to decide which colors of roses to buy (that also have fragrance, because a lot of the hybrids don’t).

  16. 16.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 9, 2017 at 6:53 am

    @raven: I remember that pic. You posted a link not too long ago.

  17. 17.

    Raven

    April 9, 2017 at 7:08 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: I thought I had but I can’t find it!

  18. 18.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 7:18 am

    Getting light enough to get out and start digging. Had my full ration of coffee too, so time to get going. Have a beautiful day all!

  19. 19.

    JPL

    April 9, 2017 at 7:20 am

    @raven: Your wife has a good eye, because the gingerbread trim is gorgeous.

  20. 20.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 9, 2017 at 7:20 am

    @Raven: If there was a way to search your comments from the last month or 2, it might not take too long. Calling ‘Major x 4’, Calling ‘Major x 4’, Calling ‘Major x 4’,….

  21. 21.

    Iowa Old Lady

    April 9, 2017 at 7:21 am

    Beautiful pictures.

  22. 22.

    Rosalita

    April 9, 2017 at 7:23 am

    Beautiful place you call home Raven, thank you for sharing – something pretty to enjoy at every turn. I lived in ATL for four years, loved, loved, loved the dogwoods!

    In CT we are getting a blast of the warm sunnies this week and I can’t wait for the explosion of flowering trees and bulbs

  23. 23.

    MomSense

    April 9, 2017 at 7:24 am

    Raven the house and gardens are beautiful. Congrats to you and your bride.

  24. 24.

    Aleta

    April 9, 2017 at 7:38 am

    @raven: (photo)
    Now you’re killing me. (Wow) And the black eyed susans in front, are perfect. The branches, pillars, filigree. It’s like a long term date w/ a loved one.

  25. 25.

    Raven

    April 9, 2017 at 8:02 am

    I’m siting at my usual outside table with my pups and a nice gentleman walked up and had just looked at this thread! “Are you Raven”? The reach of th BJ is deep and wide!

  26. 26.

    donnah

    April 9, 2017 at 8:06 am

    Raven, thank you for sharing your beautiful space with us. I am envious of the beautiful blooms because not only did a killer frost ruin two of my favorite rose bushes, it killed my lilacs as well. I’ll just have to enjoy spring flowers vicariously!

  27. 27.

    Baud

    April 9, 2017 at 8:07 am

    @Raven: You have a stalker! You’re in the big leagues now, my friend.

  28. 28.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 9, 2017 at 8:12 am

    @Raven: Heh.

  29. 29.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 8:12 am

    @Raven: a morning meet up? (I came in for more coffee)

  30. 30.

    rikyrah

    April 9, 2017 at 8:14 am

    Good Morning , Everyone ???

  31. 31.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 8:16 am

    @donnah: do you have a Menards near you? They had quite a variety of roses you could replace yours for cheap compared to an online place. Good sized ones, not dinky little sprigs that you’d normally pay that price for. Bigger ones in pots for $2 more. All the ones I bought already were leafing out in the potting bags they were sold in.

  32. 32.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 8:17 am

    @rikyrah: Good morning rikyrah!

  33. 33.

    Immanentize

    April 9, 2017 at 8:18 am

    Very very nice, Raven. What a sweet house and surrounds. Coming home must be such a pleasure.

    Here near Beantown we are going from rainy cold to hot (80’s by Tuesday!). Our weather is so messed up. Our forsythia also froze and are producing nothing but a few sad blooms designed to piss me off. I am hoping the trees will flower…. then come the inch worms from the winter moths…. grouchy today so please keep the beautiful pics coming.

  34. 34.

    Baud

    April 9, 2017 at 8:20 am

    @rikyrah: Good morning.

  35. 35.

    ThresherK

    April 9, 2017 at 8:21 am

    @Rosalita: Yeah, in CT we seemed to make up in rain this last week or so for the paucity of snow this winter. I’ll take that trade.

  36. 36.

    Spanky

    April 9, 2017 at 8:27 am

    @Raven: Did he say his name was Little Boots?

  37. 37.

    donnah

    April 9, 2017 at 8:33 am

    @satby:

    I’m going to go look. It’s depressing to have sharp sticky thorns in front of my porch where fragrant roses once bloomed.

  38. 38.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    April 9, 2017 at 8:36 am

    @Baud: Now he know what’s it’s to be like Baud!

  39. 39.

    WaterGirl

    April 9, 2017 at 8:36 am

    @Raven: That is beyond awesome! So cool.

    The house looks great and the flowers are wonderful. Compliments to the boss. After years of wanting them, I planted spanish bluebells last fall. I haven’t seen them yet, but I am hoping they will come up! Every year I say this is the year that I am going to document where everything is planted, but in the end it always seems to be “next year I’ll do it for sure!” So I don’t even know where to look for my spanish bluebells! :-)

  40. 40.

    debbie

    April 9, 2017 at 8:44 am

    @raven:

    Beautiful pictures. I can’t believe how big dogwoods get down there!

  41. 41.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 8:49 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    If there was a way to search your comments from the last month or 2

    I have been meaning to mention this but haven’t yet, there is something wrong with the way Google has been indexing this site for the last few months. I do not know if it’s something the goog changed or maybe a button was turned off during the multiple redo’s the site went through.
    I will use Google Advanced Search to find terms I know were used in a thread and it comes back empty. It is very inconsistent lately and almost nothing from 72 hours comes up anymore in hits. In the past I could use the “24 Hours” limiter and get the results I expected but not any longer. Except like once out of 10 times (approx).

  42. 42.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 8:51 am

    My mom is coming over to finish planting some things with my son. And at some point my son and I will be re-working our wormy bin. Got the gnat infestation we tried so hard to prevent. But it happens, I guess.

  43. 43.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 8:52 am

    GORGEOUS!

  44. 44.

    Josie

    April 9, 2017 at 8:52 am

    Lovely pictures, Raven. I am especially covetous of The Cowboy.

  45. 45.

    efgoldman

    April 9, 2017 at 8:52 am

    @satby:

    Menards had a great sale in roses

    Menards has a real problematic history as an employer

  46. 46.

    Yarrow

    April 9, 2017 at 9:02 am

    @raven: Raven, the photos are gorgeous! Love your house and the memorial to your pup Raven is lovely. That dogwood is just stunning.

    @Corner Stone: I read somewhere else that Google stopped indexing comments on blogs. I don’t know if that’s true, but it might explain why you can’t find things in comments that you know are there. I’ve had the same problem trying to search for something in comments.

  47. 47.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 9:07 am

    @Yarrow: Ah, but the indexing, that’s, that’s where I had them, they laughed at me and made jokes, but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt, with geometric logic, that a change to the indexing did exist

  48. 48.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 9:08 am

    And now, to rectify the one great mistake of my life. I failed to donut yesterday and now I must atone for my sins.

  49. 49.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 9:11 am

    @efgoldman:
    Never shop at Menards because of this. Guy who started the company is a real ass. I’m a Lowe’s chick. Company started in my home state of NC and politically a bit better than Home Depot. Have had several friends over the years who have worked for both. They say you can’t compare…prefer Lowe’s.

  50. 50.

    Mike E

    April 9, 2017 at 9:15 am

    We’ve got our own “Masters” azalea bloom going on here, with the local teevee station dedicating a whole garden to them… people even get married there. My apartment complex has a white bush in front that I’m glad to see every spring

  51. 51.

    Yarrow

    April 9, 2017 at 9:15 am

    @Corner Stone: Do you have a preferred donut?

  52. 52.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 9:16 am

    @donnah: if they don’t have them, hit me up at my Etsy store. I have to go again tomorrow to pick up the counter I chose, and I could text you some picks, pick up ones you like, and ship them to you. They’ll fit in a rate B box, so not even that expensive.

  53. 53.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 9:17 am

    @Quinerly: All of them are owned by wingnuts. I try to get almost everything at the Habitat Restore, to tell the truth.

  54. 54.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 9:20 am

    @efgoldman: They all do, though this one is aggressively hiring the disabled. Which is cool.
    I live in a blue area of a psycho red state dominated by big box stores. The smaller companies are sometimes obnoxiously Xtianist. My choices are pretty limited.

  55. 55.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 9:22 am

    Progress report: four blueberries and one lilac in. I think I know where I’ll put the rest, but I have to leave for work in 45 minutes.

  56. 56.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 9, 2017 at 9:23 am

    @Yarrow: “Worlds Fair” -glazed- still warm from the fryer. They literally melt in your mouth.

  57. 57.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 9:29 am

    @Yarrow: Thank you for asking! I actually like the *idea* of donuts more than donuts themselves because they actually wreck my digestive system for almost a day if I ever eat one.
    However! When I can no longer resist the urge to donut I go to a family owned place around the corner and get a cake style chocolate with chocolate topping and a cake style blueberry with glaze. I recently discovered the blueberry one and let me tell you, it’s freaking delicious.

  58. 58.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 9:31 am

    @satby:
    I’m with you but sometimes not a lot of choices. My friends who have worked at both Lowe’s and Home Depot say there’s a real difference. So I go with that. I have rental property so sometimes have to get in and out, not a lot of time for shopping around. Also, I really love our local Lowe’s plant department…they buy from a local nursery out in the county. Sometimes I just have to compromise…however, I won’t step foot in a Menards’s or Home Depot. Also, never eat or drink at chains, never go in a Walmart, so I hope I am making a difference there.

  59. 59.

    Yarrow

    April 9, 2017 at 9:32 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: I loved the original Krispy Kreme in NC. The hot from the fryer ones would also melt in your mouth. Not sure now they’ve expanded, gone bankrupt and reappeared.

  60. 60.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 9:32 am

    It’s strange times when the first twit feed I dial up in the AM is Rick Wilson’s.

  61. 61.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 9:32 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    Love “Worlds Fair.” Yum.

  62. 62.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 9:36 am

    @Yarrow:
    I’m from NC originally…we had one of those old Kispy Kream stores in my college town of Greenville, NC. It was great. Actually, think it’s still there by the ECU campus in its original location. Thanks for the reminder. Will try to check it out when in the area next month.

  63. 63.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 9, 2017 at 9:41 am

    @Yarrow: I never got on the KK bus, WF was just so good and easy and I really liked the owners.

    @Quinerly: I started eating them when I lived across the street back in the early 80s. My go to AM stop for breakfast on the bus. Did you see where I will not be able to make the Science March?

  64. 64.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 9:43 am

    @Quinerly: Hey there. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to follow a lot of the travel posts so I’m not sure, but did you make it to Utah? If so, which part? I am thinking about going for several days this summer. The last time I was there was winter a long time ago, up by Grand Junction, CO.

  65. 65.

    Glidwrith

    April 9, 2017 at 9:43 am

    We dug up the combination potato/tomato bed and were pleasantly surprised to find potatoes! True black thumb here, so that was a real accomplishment.

    We also tore out a section of overgrown rosemary and grass in preparation to remove the palm tree that has gotten so tall, it now shades the solar panels on the roof.

    Also need to transfer last year’s compost to the garden beds and close the current composter. After all the rains, our yard has turned into jungle.

  66. 66.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 9:44 am

    @Glidwrith: I hope you have a small platoon of helpers, a flat bed tow truck and a quantity of TNT if you expect to remove that god forsaken palm tree.

  67. 67.

    Yarrow

    April 9, 2017 at 9:47 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: There was a big difference between Krispy Kreme in the original stores in NC and how they tasted once they expanded the business. I’m not sure why, but they just weren’t as good.

  68. 68.

    ThresherK

    April 9, 2017 at 9:49 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: Okay, I’m half a continent away. I want to try World’s Fair Donuts. I didn’t know they existed last night, and now I can’t stop thinking about them!

  69. 69.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    April 9, 2017 at 9:51 am

    Beautiful photos of your boss’s gorgeous gardens, raven. I thought of you when I had lunch at an old haunt of mine Wednesday as the Master’s practice round coverage was starting. I told my pal the bartender about the uncooperative blooms last year and he recalled that they were early. Thanks for the beauty.

    @Corner Stone: I did the same this morning and it was unsettling.

  70. 70.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 9, 2017 at 9:52 am

    @Yarrow: My very limited experience (1 stop) said you are right about what we had here..

  71. 71.

    Iowa Old Lady

    April 9, 2017 at 9:53 am

    @Raven: When my son was in high school, he ran an online chat site using the name “Lord Winsor.” At his graduation, after all their names were read, a man came up and said, “Pardon me, but are you by any chance Lord Winsor?” It felt very odd.

    Did you admit to being Raven?

  72. 72.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 9, 2017 at 9:55 am

    @ThresherK: on the SW corner of S. Vandeventer and Shaw. Worth the trip all by themselves.

  73. 73.

    sheila in nc

    April 9, 2017 at 9:56 am

    @efgoldman: Also the Menards owner and family gave big, big bucks ($1.5M) to support Gov Walker and promote right-to-work policies in Wisconsin.

  74. 74.

    raven

    April 9, 2017 at 9:56 am

    @Iowa Old Lady:Sure, doesn’t matter to me if people know.

  75. 75.

    Glidwrith

    April 9, 2017 at 10:01 am

    @Corner Stone: Ummm….hubby was thinking of taking an axe to it. Twenty feet tall and about two+ feet wide. My idea was to start digging about three feet out from the base with ropes tied on the tree to tug it in the desired direction….maybe that isn’t a good idea?

    Seriously, we are going to get quotes from a removal service.

  76. 76.

    SFAW

    April 9, 2017 at 10:05 am

    @Corner Stone:

    I hope you have a small platoon of helpers, a flat bed tow truck and a quantity of TNT if you expect to remove that god forsaken palm tree.

    I was going to suggest that Glidwrith let the WH know there are Syrian chemical-weapons-using terrists in the palm tree, so that Shitgibbon could unleash 50-plus Tomahawks on it. But then I realized that the result would probably be a lot of collateral damage, and the palm tree left unscathed.

  77. 77.

    BruceFromOhio

    April 9, 2017 at 10:06 am

    Nice pix Raven, thank you for sharing – I’ve often wondered the source of your nym.

    NE Ohio wanted to take one last ride on the ‘Wheel of Winter’ on Friday, enabling a good north fetch to dump 8 inches of heavy wet snow, courtesy of Lake Erie. The few daffodils poking up through the snow had that look of, “yeah, it happens – so what?”. I’m with you, AL, the itchy ears, watery eyes, and constant urge to sneeze tell tales of Spring being upon us, even with the snow still lingering. The local lilacs are all nicely fattened up with promise of blooms to come, just have to be patient a little longer.

  78. 78.

    OzarkHillbilly

    April 9, 2017 at 10:07 am

    @Glidwrith:

    we are going to get quotes from a removal service.

    Make sure they are insured and bonded. In the hundred or so I’ve cut down, I’ve never had one go sideways on me. I am smart enough to know that that is as much do to with luck as it is my ability to read a tree.

  79. 79.

    bystander

    April 9, 2017 at 10:15 am

    Donuts, cupcakes, cronuts…I save a lot of carbs not getting why people want to eat them. Now, cookies are another matter.

    Great pics, Raven! We are having a second nice day in a row in the Poconos. Still hoping the last 30 inch snowfall didn’t kill all the daffs.

  80. 80.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 10:17 am

    @Glidwrith:

    Ummm….hubby was thinking of taking an axe to it. Twenty feet tall and about two+ feet wide. My idea was to start digging about three feet out from the base with ropes tied on the tree to tug it in the desired direction….maybe that isn’t a good idea?

    HAHAHAHAHAHA!!
    Ohhh, man. Thank you, thank you. That was one of the best laughs I have had in quite some time.

  81. 81.

    Mary G

    April 9, 2017 at 10:24 am

    The boss is rightly proud of those bluebells, Raven. Everything looks great. Love the story of the gingerbread and her dad. Since we finally had a rainy winter, my succulents are happy as clams and growing like crazy.

  82. 82.

    hovercraft

    April 9, 2017 at 10:25 am

    @raven:
    Beautiful house, beautiful, plantings, and beautiful pictures. Great job Raven and Mrs. Raven.

  83. 83.

    Glidwrith

    April 9, 2017 at 10:27 am

    @Corner Stone: Whispers to husband (Psst…..honey, I think we should use a tree service. The Juicers thought I was joking about the palm tree).

  84. 84.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 10:27 am

    @Corner Stone:
    Spent almost three weeks of the six weeks trip in Utah. A week in Kanab (as a base for Zion, Bryce, St. George, Grand Staircase Escalante,Lake Powell, and Page). Hated the actual town of Kanab, so would pick a different base spot for base camp if I had a do over. A night in Escalante, two nights in Torrey (wonderful cabins both places, loved Capitol Reef NP and the town of Torrey. Hit Goblin Valley SP (loved)…worked my way over to Bluff for what turned into a week instead of 4 nights….Recapture Lodge as a base for hiking Comb’s Ridge, visiting Canyon de Chelly, Valley of the Gods, Monument Valley, Goosenecks SP, Moki Dugway, Bridges National Monument, and some pueblo ruins. Ended up skipping Moab and Arches (crowds). Did drive through Canyonlands and took that beautiful road out of Moab that follows the Co River almost to I 70. I can send you more info if you want to email me. I planned the trip for 6 months. Very little I would do differently. Some stuff that I’m glad I did (Zion, for sure) but wouldn’t do again. Honestly, I got the biggest kick out of driving the back roads of Utah. Total 6 weeks trip was 7500 miles. Never over 1500 miles per Mapquest from home.?

  85. 85.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 10:31 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    Saw that. Pretty sure I replied. Sam’s been working on his science related chants. Sarah Jane rolls her eyes. You will be missed.

  86. 86.

    chris

    April 9, 2017 at 10:33 am

    Nice pics, Raven. Here, 1200 miles northeast of Athens, there is still snow in the shady spots but a little greening here and there.

    @Glidwrith: The palm tree video. One more vote for the pros.

  87. 87.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 10:33 am

    @Glidwrith: Holy shit. You mean you weren’t?
    Let me tell you a little something about palm trees. Satan himself inserts his sperm inside the palm tree. That then turns the inside into a material more dense than concrete, and the outer hide into the toughest leather known to man.
    But seriously. You will lose. Get a service.

  88. 88.

    Lizzy L

    April 9, 2017 at 10:35 am

    Thank you for the pics, Raven. Those are lovely. What a beautiful garden! It hailed here yesterday and it looks like we are going to have a cool day and a chilly unsettled (means maybe more rain) week. Now that our governor has declared the drought over, I am ready for some sun, and the chill is making me gloomy. Grump.

    Hope you all have a lovely Sunday doing whatever makes you happy.

  89. 89.

    Josie

    April 9, 2017 at 10:35 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: We used to live on a 1/2 acre lot with many palm trees in the back yard (very south Texas). After the devastating freeze in the eighty’s, we had many dead palm trees in the back yard. I had a yard man with a drinking problem. He was quite productive, however and would climb to the top of the tree with a power saw and come down sawing off sections as he descended. The ground would shake as the sections hit the ground. He always smelled of booze, but he managed to get the job done without killing himself or anyone else. His name was Oswaldo, and I really miss him. He was a magician with plants.

  90. 90.

    Glidwrith

    April 9, 2017 at 10:36 am

    @Corner Stone: Gotcha.

  91. 91.

    Yarrow

    April 9, 2017 at 10:39 am

    @Glidwrith: A twenty foot tall palm tree and you are thinking about taking it out yourself? Ha ha ha ha ha! Only possible exceptions would be if it has been in no more than a year so the root structure hasn’t had a good chance to form, or if you’re in a marginal zone for palms and it wasn’t thriving. It sounds like neither is the case, so hire the tree company. Make sure they guarantee to get the whole root structure out of there.

  92. 92.

    Miss Bianca

    April 9, 2017 at 10:41 am

    Here in the central CO mountains we’ve gone from a foot of snow drop on Tuesday to complete melt-off by Friday. That’s spring in the Rockies for ya!

    And any complaint about the amount or type of precipitation is reflexively followed by the observation, “of course, we need the moisture.” ;-)

    ETA And Raven, those photos are beautiful. I would love to come down to GA sometime in the spring.

  93. 93.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 10:46 am

    @Quinerly: Wow, that sounds amazing. I was thinking about two weeks, doing some hiking and some whitewater rafting now that my son is big enough. Maybe flying into LV or SLT and renting a vehicle. I’m not sure I want to do a 24 hour drive to get there, do two weeks activities and then have to drive back.
    I’d love to learn more if you’re comfortable with that. Should I email a FP’er about contact or do you have a site I could visit?

  94. 94.

    Gin & Tonic

    April 9, 2017 at 10:47 am

    @Quinerly: To add to this, for CS’s benefit, if he’s planning a trip. Utah Hwy 12 between (roughly) Bryce and Torrey is one of the most scenic drives in the continental US, IMO. Different than, but definitely on a par with the Blue Ridge Parkway or Hwy 1 from Carmel to Big Sur.

  95. 95.

    tybee

    April 9, 2017 at 10:49 am

    @Glidwrith:

    i’ve cut a couple down leaving a 3 foot tall section of the trunk as a plant stand. it won’t rot in your lifetime and with the crown cut off, it won’t resprout.
    the trunk makes excellent landscaping timber and/or a bench.
    also, keep the crown of the tree – heart of palm is tasty.

  96. 96.

    Schlemazel

    April 9, 2017 at 10:51 am

    Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing. Our bluebells just broke through this week so this gives me hope.

  97. 97.

    Schlemazel

    April 9, 2017 at 11:04 am

    @chris:
    Let me join the chorus singing “hire a guy” to remove that palm. If it is any size at all it will weight a couple tons more than it looks it should.
    When we lived in FL we had a friend that ought a house with a palm & he hated palm trees. He said I could have it if I wanted it. It was only about 4 feet high so I got a couple friends & a case of beer. It took all four of us it get that little thing into the bed of the truck!

  98. 98.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 11:11 am

    @Gin & Tonic: @Corner Stone:
    I consider myself quite the connoisseur of the highways and byways of Utah (NM for years, and AZ this year). Highway 12 is a favorite! I even bought the T shirt. (be sure to check out Boulder Town there’s a great restaurant there, getting quite a bit of press..it was still closed for the season when I was there, though). Also, on the road list is Highway 24 from Capitol Reef to Goblin. I was on it at sunrise….otherworldly. Would also suggest 89A and 89. (partly in AZ) Forgot to list Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP and Kodachrome SP in Utah. That road out of Moab to the interstate is 128. Corner Stone inspired me to pull out my maps. I really should be doing yard work.

  99. 99.

    Yarrow

    April 9, 2017 at 11:13 am

    @Quinerly: How’s Poco doing now he’s home? Does he miss traveling?

  100. 100.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 11:16 am

    @Corner Stone:
    I’ve given it out a couple of times when connecting with Balloon Juice folks on the trip. Really didn’t see a problem but if proper protocol is to go through a front pager, just email Alain. I sent pictures of the trip to him when he started the “On the Road” threads. Be prepared. I over plan for these 4-6 weeks trips that I do. There will be a suggested reading list.?

  101. 101.

    Villago Delenda Est

    April 9, 2017 at 11:17 am

    raven, great yard, great photos!

  102. 102.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 11:21 am

    @Yarrow:
    Poco is being the snuggly luv bug that he is. Hard for me to believe he was on the mean streets of St. Louis so long. He’s getting ready for his spring NC beach trip. Poco’s the first of these three large, rescue dogs in a course of 24 years that loves the beach. But afraid of the ocean (hates water)..Lab/Golden Retriever mix…go figure. Somebody said it was because he was from the streets…getting wet means being miserable.

  103. 103.

    Yarrow

    April 9, 2017 at 11:27 am

    @Quinerly: Awww…he’s so cute in the pictures. I hope you share some of your NC trip. Maybe if he sees you enjoying the water he’ll eventually decide it’s okay.

    I went on a beach weekend with some friends and one brought her little poodle mix dog. She loved walking on the beach and digging in the sand but the waves confused her. She’d bark and bark at them and then try to bite them. Hilarious.

  104. 104.

    Saving Private Equity

    April 9, 2017 at 11:28 am

    Just changing nyms, posting to get out of jail. Mostly lurking.

  105. 105.

    Juice Box

    April 9, 2017 at 11:31 am

    I need to plant my tomatoes, but I need a new knee and jobs that require getting down on the ground are verrrrry unappealing right now.

  106. 106.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 11:36 am

    @Yarrow:
    Poco barked at the ocean when he first saw it. (Wouldn’t we love to know what/how they see it?). He doesn’t anymore. I think he knows he made a fool out of himself in front of a bunch of strangers. He certainly embarrassed my mom. It was also when they first met. She had a bit of an attitude about Poco…thought I jumped back into the whole dog thing too soon after Leo’s death. But, I digress….

  107. 107.

    debit

    April 9, 2017 at 11:49 am

    raven, your house and yard are so beautiful. You and satby put me to shame with your industriousness. And Raven’s memorial is lovely.

  108. 108.

    debit

    April 9, 2017 at 11:50 am

    @Juice Box: Ouch. What about some raised beds so you don’t have to kneel or bend down?

  109. 109.

    Major Major Major Major

    April 9, 2017 at 12:04 pm

    Greetings, internet friends, from Bangkok! I hope you all have a great day. We got here about 12 hours ago, and it’s pretty chill. Did you know, they have really good Thai food?

    I’m going to bed soon, but figured I’d drop off some pictures here. Just a few really. Not great ones either, I’m still getting used to the camera on this slightly different phone I borrowed, and I’m also not just taking it out willy-nilly to snap photos. https://imgur.com/a/TlL4a

    There’s a lot of Gudetama merchandise at the ubiquitous 7/11’s, which is fun.

  110. 110.

    JPL

    April 9, 2017 at 12:07 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: Thanks! I love the pic of America’s best
    cheese balls. lol

  111. 111.

    Mike J

    April 9, 2017 at 12:11 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free.

  112. 112.

    raven

    April 9, 2017 at 12:16 pm

    Whoa, big fire on St George Island!

  113. 113.

    Yarrow

    April 9, 2017 at 12:16 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Did you know, they have really good Thai food?

    What?! In Bangkok? Shocker. Seriously, glad you got there safely. Have fun!

  114. 114.

    SFAW

    April 9, 2017 at 12:16 pm

    @chris:

    The palm tree video. One more vote for the pros.

    Shitgibbon wants to know if the guy in the pickup would be part of his Administration. Might up the competence level a tad.

  115. 115.

    hovercraft

    April 9, 2017 at 12:16 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:
    Nice pics. Now I want Thai food. Nothing I get will measure up to what you’re getting, sigh. Enjoy!

  116. 116.

    Major Major Major Major

    April 9, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    @Mike J: so they say.

  117. 117.

    Major Major Major Major

    April 9, 2017 at 12:23 pm

    Oh, and lovely pictures, Raven ?

  118. 118.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    April 9, 2017 at 12:27 pm

    @Mike J: thank you for that ear worm

  119. 119.

    Mike J

    April 9, 2017 at 12:33 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: Alex Chilton had a very poor grasp of geography, but he was on a roll.

  120. 120.

    Iowa Old Lady

    April 9, 2017 at 12:41 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: Very cool. Have a good time.

  121. 121.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 12:50 pm

    @Quinerly: No protocol I am aware of, I am too lazy to set up a burner email and don’t care to broadcast the one linked here. In the past I have went through FP’ers if the other party I wanted to contact was also reticent.

  122. 122.

    germy

    April 9, 2017 at 12:52 pm

    Massachusetts may be the latest state to consider protections for broadband privacy.

    State Senate Republicans have filed legislation that would prevent internet service providers from using or selling customer information without their permission.

    The bill is in response to a move by Republicans in Washington to repeal Obama-era federal regulations that would have prohibited collection of customer information without consent.

    Senate Republican Leader Bruce Tarr says Congress “has created a situation that threatens consumer privacy.”

    Sen. Donald Humason, a Westfield Republican, says the bill would protect Massachusetts residents against the sale of their personal information.

    The measure would also prohibit internet service providers from imposing a charge on consumers who do not give consent.

    Several other states including Illinois, Minnesota and Montana are considering similar legislation.

  123. 123.

    Doug R

    April 9, 2017 at 12:56 pm

    Saw at Costco they have grafted trees for less than $40. Four kinds of apples or five kinds of fruit per tree. If we weren’t moving this summer, we would have snagged the plum/apricot/peach tree.

  124. 124.

    Steve in the ATL

    April 9, 2017 at 12:56 pm

    I have a golden retriever who loves water. When he was a puppy he would jump in the shower with people. When it rained, he would run in circles in yard and refuse to come in.

    When he was a few months old we took to the lake. The girls got in theit kayaks and started paddling away. As soon as he saw this the dog, who had never been swimming in his life, sprinted to the water, dove in, and swam to younger daughter’s kayak, which he tried to bring back to shore.

    Pretty funny and pretty impressive.

  125. 125.

    Saving Private Equity

    April 9, 2017 at 1:08 pm

    @germy: This is what full time legislatures are for. Here in Utah we can’t quickly respond to congressional stupidity until the following year.

  126. 126.

    germy

    April 9, 2017 at 1:09 pm

    A few months ago my wife brought home a big houseplant.

    A big potted norfolk island pine. Put it by the front window.

    The past few weeks I notice the cat vomiting more than usual. Couldn’t figure it out.

    Then I googled “norfolk island pine” and “cats”

    I thought the cat was too smart to eat poisonous stuff, but she apparently couldn’t help herself.

    Today we got rid of that plant.

  127. 127.

    germy

    April 9, 2017 at 1:12 pm

    @Saving Private Equity: Shouldn’t be necessary. What part of durmp’s “populism” includes selling our private browsing info to corporations? Even stupid durmp voters can’t possibly be in favor of that, right?

    “Saving Private Equity” – Isn’t that one of the photo captions to jared’s military adventure?

  128. 128.

    Saving Private Equity

    April 9, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    I just put in rhododendrons here on the east bench of SLC. I have pretty acidic soil, so I’m hoping they’ll be okay, but my mom (who has a much greener thumb than I) has mixed luck with them. Well, fingers crossed. Hydrangeas, butterfly bushes, dicentra, lamium, ferns, viola, spurge, butterfly mint all too come. Pictures when it’s all in!

  129. 129.

    Frankenstein dog

    April 9, 2017 at 1:18 pm

    Super warm 48 degrees in Seattle. The weather is sunny clouds all day no rain till tonight. Whoopdedoo. So far it’s the Katsuras and cherry trees making the big comeback from winter.

    Anyone had the pleasure of reading Philip Roth’s Plot Against America? A gardenless Sunday has me catching up on my reading.

  130. 130.

    Saving Private Equity

    April 9, 2017 at 1:20 pm

    @germy: I’m not sure whether Utah voters would reject Trump outright (he has an ‘R’ after his name), but selling their privacy is a good angle to gin up some activism, I think.

  131. 131.

    zhena gogolia

    April 9, 2017 at 1:23 pm

    Lovely pictures!

  132. 132.

    Mike in NC

    April 9, 2017 at 2:06 pm

    @Frankenstein dog: It was a good story.

  133. 133.

    Glidwrith

    April 9, 2017 at 2:06 pm

    To all Juicers giving advise about my palm tree, thank you!

  134. 134.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 2:14 pm

    @Corner Stone:
    I have several emails. One is kind of a burner so I’ll email Alain to give you that one so if you become a problem, I can get rid of you.? I’m taking this outreach on your part as an apology for when you blasted me for some of my first comments here 6-8 months ago. I had been a lurker since Cole’s conversion and you were an ass…not very welcoming. Rather humorous looking back on it. Would love to give you a list of stuff for your trip plans…I’m a foodie, love my cocktails along the way, and am according to an ex “a known tightwad.”? Pretty much covered southern Utah and northern AZ on this last trip. No Salt Lake City and only passed through Moab. Two days in St. George, which is quite lovely. Stay in touch. Love to plan trips!

  135. 135.

    Frankenstein dog

    April 9, 2017 at 2:24 pm

    @Mike in NC: I’m trying to imagine reading it when it was published in 2004.

  136. 136.

    Corner Stone

    April 9, 2017 at 3:35 pm

    @Quinerly: Eh, don’t bother.

  137. 137.

    Quinerly

    April 9, 2017 at 4:51 pm

    @Corner Stone:
    Whatever. Alain has the email address if you change your mind.

  138. 138.

    opiejeanne

    April 9, 2017 at 5:07 pm

    @Mike J: Is that from “One Night in Bangkok”, from “Chess?”

  139. 139.

    opiejeanne

    April 9, 2017 at 5:28 pm

    @Doug R:Those novelty trees rarely perform well because at least one will be a variety of that fruit popular in the grocery store that doesn’t grow well in your area. Bing cherries don’t grow as well as other varieties in my area but every nursery stocks them because people know the name.
    We have a 3-in-1 pear and two of the varieties have done ok, but the third one was a bust. Susceptible to fire blight, fruit ruined every year by black cork-like chunks growing inside them. We gave them a long chance but this year we cut off the bad one, the Anjou, and my husband wants to cut off the Belgian Beauty, which will leave just the Seckel pear.
    I recommend you find out what will perform well in your new place and avoid 3-in-1 trees.

  140. 140.

    Currants

    April 9, 2017 at 6:25 pm

    Raven you may never see this, but oh what wonderful photos! Thank you–like Anne Laurie, from New England, where it’s beginning to inch toward spring (my crocuses are gorgeous–but some still just poking out of the ground).
    Thank you!

  141. 141.

    TerryC

    April 9, 2017 at 6:43 pm

    Last week I planted fifty sycamore trees. Currently, I am planting fifty native plum trees. Coming up next are fifty persimmons and a hundred shagbark hickory. After that catalpa and dawn redwood.

    I do not know how to post images here or I would share. I’ve planted more than 6,000 trees in the last three years on my 19 acres.

    I am WAY too lazy to do annuals; I just put trees in and watch them grow ?

  142. 142.

    satby

    April 9, 2017 at 6:55 pm

    @TerryC: holy shit! Is there enough room for all of that??

  143. 143.

    raven

    April 9, 2017 at 7:14 pm

    @Currants: Thanks!

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