Saturday, May 24, 2008

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.

Friday, May 16, 2008

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.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

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.

Friday, May 2, 2008

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.