ToyTrains1's Garden Journal

An Update

ToyTrains1 — Mon, 24 May 2010 03:46:27 +0000

Since my last post, much has happened. I've posted well over one hundred and fifty new photos, mostly roses, to the web site. Most of the roses have now bloomed with only six left to go. While the What's New page always shows what I've added to the web site, a good place to see what's already bloomed is the Roses in the Garden page, where I showcase what I think are the best photos of the roses that have bloomed this year. Not all is happiness however. The other day I went out into the garden and was saddened to discover that a varmint — a deer — had been browsing on the buds of many of the roses and lilies. I've been losing sleep the last few days trying to catch it in the act. If I do, there will be a barbecue featuring venison! On a personal note, the stitches in my knee hopefully come out tomorrow which will hopefully allow it to fully heal. Here are a few photos to hopefully tempt you to visit the web site. The first is Peace, the second is Sweet Juliet.

Oh Good Lord!

ToyTrains1 — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:07:30 +0000

I had the surgery on my knee today. Now that the anesthetic in the knee has worn off, I don't know but that I was better off with the torn meniscus! Getting old SUX! I'll be off the air for a few days.

I Love Spring!

ToyTrains1 — Sun, 09 May 2010 03:29:04 +0000

This has to be my favorite time of the year. Even the pain of a torn-up knee (surgery is Tuesday) can't keep me from getting out in the garden. Every day it seems that there's something new happening! On the web site, I've posted about a hundred photos taken over the last week showing what's been going on. Today I went out and found that the new Itoh peony had bloomed. It is totally awesome! On the rose front, Double Delight, Louise Odier, Pat Austin, Gertrude Jekyll, Zephirine Drouhin, and Heritage have bloomed, and more are on the way. Their delightful fragrances seem to have some analgesic properties because when I have my nose buried in them, the pain seems to lessen! Here's a photo of the Itoh peony; lots more on the web site.

The First of May, The First Rose

ToyTrains1 — Sat, 01 May 2010 18:39:00 +0000

The rose bud shown in my previous entry has opened into a stunning, intensely fragrant flower. Double Delight did not disappoint! A surprise is that shortly after this opened, Gertrude Jekyll opened a blossom about ten feet up in the air above the back yard arbor. I had to shoot it from a second floor window using a telephoto lens! It's great to have roses again! Here's the very first Double Delight.

It’s a Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood

ToyTrains1 — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:33:17 +0000

The temperature is near 80, it's nice and sunny with a gentle breeze, and the garden is doing very well. I should have my first rose, Double Delight, in a few days. The lawn has come in very well, thick, lush, and oh so green. All of the roses have come back very strongly. The new planting bed at the house foundation in the side yard is doing very nicely, with the three Delaware Valley white azaleas in full bloom. Today, I sprayed the roses for the first time this season as they've all leafed out, so they got their first dose of Banner Maxx and I will alternate as I have in years past with Funginex and Immunox to try to keep the dreaded black spot fungus at bay. Hopefully, I will be able to do the next spraying on schedule; that's just a few days after surgery to fix my damaged knee. I've posted lots of photos to the web site and they should give a good indication of how things have done so far this year. Here's the first Double Delight bud, now swollen and with the sepals pulled back. It's already intensely fragrant and I expect it will open shortly. I came out the other day to find that a windstorm had knocked this tree rose to the ground. Fortunately, the stem had bent, not snapped, so I was able to stand it up again, this time with much more formidable stakes to hold it in place!

Sigh

ToyTrains1 — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:30:25 +0000

After physical therapy, visits to the orthopaedist, X-Rays, and MRI, it seems as though I have a torn meniscus that has a piece flapping around inside my knee causing all the pain. The orthopaedist will have to go in to get it out, so surgery is next month. Sigh. Getting old sux!

Spring Has Sprung!

ToyTrains1 — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:53:14 +0000

After the very tough winter, spring is finally here in earnest. We actually had a few days approaching 90 degrees! The landscaper has completed his work and things are looking really good in the garden. The spring bulbs have done well but clearly I'm going to have to plant a bunch more as many of the old ones have died off and those in the side yard are mostly gone. The front yard is beginning to grow new grass and the house looks great after being power washed and having all of the woodwork painted. The foundation bed in the side yard has been completely rebuilt and is populated with new plants including hollies, azaleas, Peegee hydrangeas, an Itoh peony, and a beautiful dogwood. And, we have our first rosebud! It's on the Double Delight tree in the back yard garden. I've posted more than a hundred new photos on the web site; the What's New page will always show you the latest and greatest. In the meantime, here's the rosebud.

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

ToyTrains1 — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 04:25:12 +0000

All good things must come to an end. Today my tree came down. Though it had to be, I'm still saddened by the loss. I have a photo montage of the tree slowly disappearing from the landscape on the Front Yard Garden page of my web site.

On a happier note, over the last few days we've had the first flowers of spring arrive as the spring bulbs began to bloom. Crocus, Hyacinths, and Daffodils are now in bloom. Such is the life of the garden as the old fades away to be replaced by the new. After such a horrible winter, I'm glad that spring is here!

And …

ToyTrains1 — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:21:16 +0000

… the wind abated just in the nick of time. The sooner the tree is taken down the better as I won't sleep well until it's gone. Here it is. the Leaning Tree of Edison. Although you can't see it in the photo, the ground to the east of the tree (left in the photo) has begun to heave upward.

Disaster in Progress

ToyTrains1 — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:30:38 +0000

We've been having one hell of a storm today, with over four inches of rain and tropical storm force wind gusts. The forty foot tall spruce in the front yard garden has started to lean over still more and you can see where the roots to the east are starting to pull out of the earth. I don't think it's going to be able to stand up to the storm unless it abates soon. I've tried just about everyone I could and, sad to say, it appears that I have to wait until it falls, possible hitting the house, before I can get anyone to do anything about it. Where is Paul Bunyan when you need him?