The Accidental Gardener

I'm an accidental gardener. I never have any confidence in my ability to keep anything alive, so I buy a small perennial and plant it, never thinking that it will survive and grow, then I forget the name of the plant. Several years later, I have a big, beautiful, and nameless plant.


Here's to horticultural naming. I'm posting pictures and names of my plants so that I can remember what's there, particularly in the early spring when I have the urge to plant and no idea of what I already have.

This is my three-year-old peony. This year, I sprayed them in time to get rid of the bugs so they could bloom. I can't wait for them to be in full bloom.

A front view of my garden. Last year, someone -- who won't be named -- decided to prune the azalea foundation bushes in front of the railing. The problem is that azaleas can't be pruned and the bushes promptly died. Now, there's an empty space and a large root system underground, so I'm trying to think of what to plant in the back. Perhaps daylilies or some small azaleas would be a good choice.

In the front (left to right) catnip plant that reproduced to the center of the garden, in front is a small lavender plant, some groundcover that has little purple trumpet-like flowers that bloom in the spring. Along the front boarder, there are blue baloonflower plants. Next to that is thyme, chives in bloom with lavender flowers, an oregano plant, rosemary, and tarragon (I think), and in back of that is a flowering plant. Then there a big continuously blooming lavender plant.

My peonies are in front. Near the front along the sidewalk are some parsley plants and a yellow callalily, which just began blooming last summer. There are the old blooms of spring bulbs, a foxglove, two basil plants, and a nameless flowering plant. There are several plants with pink carnation-like flowers. I planted one last summer and like it so much I got more of the same this year.

The flowers give color to the garden, and the herbs are in my salad from spring to fall.

Cheers for Oscar Pistorius!

I think that athletes with and without disabilities should be able to compete together.

Amputee Sprinter to Compete for Spot on S. Africa Olympic Team
Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius will be allowed to compete for a spot on the South African Olympic team after a sport regulatory body ruled today that his carbon-fiber prosthetic limbs do not give him an advantage over other runners.

May Madness

It's May and I'm losing my mind. I could write this same post every year at this time. May is the time when the world wakes up and decides that something needs to be done before June comes and summer sets in and everyone goes on vacation. May is IEP season, in which I have the pleasure of trying to negotiate a reasonable IEP for my son after trying to gain compliance with the current plan. IEPs never get any easier, any less stressful--or any less expensive to try to obtain a free, appropriate public education. May is the time when I take on a volunteer project that's enjoyable, but a little more time-consuming than originally anticipated. It's a time when I discover through casual conversation that my husband, who was tasked with handling the college funding process, didn't have a clue as to what to do. May is at time when paperwork piles up and my task list grows longer.

Venturing Into Open Water, Right in the Neighborhood Pool

We've been tackling the open water...right in the swimming pool at swim practice. One night we learned how to sight a target, a skill needed to swim a straight line in open water where you can't see underwater. Last night we built on our skills by swimming around a buoy. We combined lane dividers and broke into groups. The coach jumped in with a big mesh bag filled with pull buoys and held them in place. Then the group sprinted off, simulating the water orgy of a mass start, and swam around the buoy. The coach probably got clobbered by the crowd. Then the group moved into the next section of the pool and sprinted from one end of the pool to the other, simulating the experience of swimming in a pack with people tapping your feet the whole time. I probably should have tried to spot the person beside me as an aid in pacing and alignment.

I was going to take a workshop to learn these skills...someday....when I was ready. The team is practicing for the bay swim, but I'm not venturing into open water at any point in the near future. But I really appreciate the coach taking the time to teach the team these skills.

Clyde's 10K 2008

It was our day--and it wasn't our day after all.

This year, I decided to volunteer for the race and was assigned to help with packet pickup on race day, starting at 6:30 a.m. For some reason, I was nervous about doing this for such a large race and recruited another volunteer--my husband. But the procedure for packet pickup was really easy. Participants looked up their bib number and then gave it to the volunteers, who would hand them their packet. Then they went to the next group of tables and asked for a race shirt. The race was sold-out at 1,500 people, so where was no race day registration, making it even more logistically simple.

My biggest surprised was meeting the race director, who I never expected to me as I assumed he'd be too busy doing other things. But there he was, helping to set up tables in the pre-dawn hours and instructing volunteers on what needed to be done. Throughout the entire morning he was here and there, attending to the myriad of details in running one of the largest local races. He took the time to answer questions and speak with each volunteer and never seemed rushed. He was very classy.

I also enjoyed talking to other runners and hearing stories from other races that they'd been in. One person had do the JFK 50-miler three times!! He was one person I wished he had talked more about his achievements and war stories on that trail, but he was very modest. One tradition that runners have is to wear shirts from other races, and I enjoyed seeing the shirts from a variety of races, including some that I'd like to enter someday.

In the midst of volunteering, I'd forgotten to take a bathroom break, and when registration closed 15 minutes before the start, the lines were just too long to get there. That made me grumpy!! Last year, the race took place in torrential rain, but this year, it was overcast and cool with a nice breeze and the rain held off long enough to complete the race.

The night before the race, Tim wanted to drive the course so that he could see where the hills were, which turned out to be a great idea. I had a clear idea of the course and all of the mile markers. I ran the race, knocking off one mile after another, passing people along the way. To take my mind off of everything else, I tried to focus on my breathing. After volunteering, I think I had more appreciation for all of the volunteers out there on the course handing out water, and especially, clapping and cheering at strategic points, such as at the top of a long hill.

I finished in exactly the same time as I did last year, right down to the second. I came away disappointed, as I'd secretly hoped to improve my time. The race capped off a week on my couch, with the exception of a two-mile run. I had an arm injury and didn't swim. Then my training was foiled with my usual spring scheduling problem. I have no motivation to get up in the pre-dawn hours and run on my treadmill when I know it's going to be 70 degrees and sunny later that day. But when the afternoon comes, other obligations steal away the time I'd planned to run or bike.

After the race, I suddenly plunged into a feverish sickness and my husband and I took to our bed for the rest of the day, he with his computer and frozen vegetable ice bags and me with Tylenol and cough drops. I hope to be well and get back to my usual training schedule!

To My Sister: You Go Girl!!!

I sent my coach's report of the swim meet around to my family, as that's the kind of things moms and other folks like to read.

My sister e-mailed back and says that she is also swimming, biking, and running and is thinking of trying a triathlon. Isn't that weird? My sister and I almost never talk to each other--we haven't had any contact in more than a year, and we're practically estranged. And now--separated by 1,500 miles, three states, and a lack of communication--we happen to be doing the same three sports???!!! Is it coincidence, or something more? Is it hereditary, or the environment? Or...is there something devine that bonds sisters?

So often I've wondered why I'm doing this. Now I know. I hope this triad of sports brings us closer together, but I'm also realistic.

To my sister: YOU GO GIRL!!! I hope you try a tri!!

Above: My younger sister (at left) and I growing up in Wisconsin, where we had a suburban home on an acre of land. My mom made the outfits, as you can tell.

Success!

Just a short note to say that after my beleagured bike ride a few weeks ago, I succeeded in doing the whole 17-mile route! Whoohoo!!! I can't believe I did it! And of course, by observing the speedy male cyclists passing me, I was able to pick up some tips. I topped the weekend off with a 6-mile run, so I think I'll be ready for the 10K in two weeks.