The Garden Buzz

Where in the World is The Garden Buzz?

Promised posts have not materialized. Unpacking boxes proved only part of the problem since moving, other fiascoes I won't mention here, keep thwarting me from blogging. And now I'm on the road again...to my usual haunt...Savannah.

No one goes to Savannah in the summer unless they have a real good reason. It's truly hot. Tropical storms don't help matters. However Hannah is graduating from SCAD with her master's degree and an outstanding academic award so I will grit my teeth and brave the heat and humidity with as much grace as I can muster.

After a home-cooked meal at the in-laws in Illinois, we are back in Franklin, Tennessee. We like to stop here and eat at Puckett's Grocery then cruise the streets oohing and ahhing at all the historical homes in this precious, well-preserved small town. Of, course Hannah's always hoping for a glimpse of Jack White, who owns a farm outside of town. Rumor has it he stops by the Starbucks.

All we encountered were torrential rains followed by a double rainbow stretching the length of the sky. So many gorgeous gardens, for now I'll leave you with a few rainy, grainy late evening shots of a personable front yard I noted...

Love the blackboard on the porch with the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote. And yes that's a shopping cart.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: May 15, 2012

Those of you used to my lush gardens and luscious photos may be disappointed this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

It's been a week since we moved into our temporary abode. Back at our old house (and gardens) I bet there are blooms in abundance; purple lollipops of alliums, bright shades of Mandarin Lights azaleas and fragrant rugosa roses to name a few. But that's in the past. I am officially in limbo, a horticultural lull I'm still getting used to.

As is the case with rental houses, there are few flowers, a couple of May Night salvias are struggling to bloom in the shady front yard. Two troughs of pansies leftover from the "house staging" are all that's going on this GBBD.

Pansies on the front porch                               The Garden Buzz

Did I bring some plants with me besides the pansies?

Well that's a sore subject. Sometime this week I'll be doing a blog post on "How Not to Transplant Tree Peonies". Otherwise I dug up a few small shrubs, roses and hydrangeas with permission from the new owners.  (I hope to place them in the new gardens once our house is built.) Two clumps of the irreplaceable mystery alliums followed me here. And last but not least a half dozen alpine strawberry plants are now edging what I'm calling the "Make-Do Kitchen Garden". More on that soon as well.

The good news is that my new neighborhood is chock full of gardeners. And if I ever finish unpacking boxes I'll be once again "borrowing" blooms for GBBD. In fact there might be a late installment of bloom day since a short walk down the street today revealed some irresistible irises.

A Dandy New Neighborhood

I've been between neighborhoods this week, moving out, moving in. We were fortunate to find a house to rent very near our building site, like, next door. I'll have the catbird seat for the whole process.

Our new hood is a great area, very village-y, and dare I say a bit like "Star's Hollow", for those of you who remember the ever-bantering Gilmore Girls.

There are gracious lawns and generous flower beds, welcoming front porches and across the street there's a tire swing. Yesterday we came upon three little girls picking dandelions and carrying them around by the fistful. And then I saw two more clutching the same yellow bundles at different times today.

Too bad I couldn't have taken a photo. Instead here's a field of the sunny flowers at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, if you're not too dazzled by the crabapples.

What a difference to see someone enjoying the the little loved/hated flowers, and not obsessing about their demise. I know they can seem unsightly in certain circumstances, but they are an important first source of nectar to early insects seeking out food. Plus I think they're kinda cheerful.

While I'm busy packing and unpacking why don't you check out this link to last year's post I did over at Herb Companion magazine, Three Reasons to Love Dandelions.