Ready for His Close-up

Blueberries are forming

 Two years ago now, we moved a blueberry bush that was on the side of the house to the lower garden since it wasn't getting enough sun.  Last year we didn't get any berries since the transplanted bush had really taken hold in the new location.  This year, however, it seems that we will have drowning in blueberries!  The bush was covered in delicate blossoms that gave an indication of the amount of berries it would produced.  Based on the numerous clumps of ripen fruit, those flowery predictions predict enough berries to make several batches of tasty jam, maybe a fruit smoothie or two, and some homemade muffins.

Pruned At the Correct Time Afterall

 I was looking at the roses the other day, making sure that they were trellising properly, when I noticed that on the ground was a small, green ball.  Only it wasn't a ball, but a fallen mini apple!  I looked up and the apple tree is full of clusters of apples! 

In November last year, Will pruned the tree rather severely at what we later discovered to be "the wrong time for pruning" according to various people.  However, there was certainly something to it because of the first time in years we have lots of apples on the tree!  I do recall the taste of the apple from long ago: they were very very very very sour.  I suspect that they will still taste that way, but we will have more chances to find out. 

First Signs of Fresh Strawberries

 I checked the garden this morning to see how it was fairing-- with Will out of town and my hosting cousins, it was not a weekend dedicated to the garden.  I was just taking a walk through the Victory Garden and what did my wondering eyes see?

STRAWBERRIES! 

We have several berries forming and ripening and growing right at the moment.  Even the neighbor's plant that crept under the fence has fruit on it.  I say that since that fruit is on our side of the fence, it is mine.  Right?  

Now, on the other side of the Victory Garden, near the roses, we made another discovery: wild strawberries!  Massive amounts of tiny, red strawberries.  Not sure how they got there (there are bird feeders hanging above the ground here, so I can only imagine) but we will enjoy these berries too.  Love these kinds of surprises!

Jealousy Abounds

While here for a visit from Dubai, Cousin Jim picked up a shiny, sparkling, white 64 GB wifi iPad 2.  I helped him set it up and made him download a few apps (Angry Birds.... Words With Friends....).  I did let him leave with it, but it was hard.  Very hard.  He left me the box though.  I may have held it for a little bit.   I can't explain why I need one, but I certainly want one.  Ah, Apple, you clever company! 

Cousins Visit DC

 This is Mish-Mash, a British cousin come to visit DC all the way from Dubai.  It was glorious weather for her and her parents, who had never been to the capitol before.  Will had been telling them for years to come and now that they see the house and all that the city has to offer, they say that they will return. 

Because where else can you touch a moon rock? 

Or have a frozen lemonade before lunch? 

 Or see a famous Senator and former Presidential candidate on your way out of the loo?

Only is DC!  

 

I think that Mish-Mash has a marvelous time seeing the city and her parents were even curious about the cost of real estate here.  After 6 years with the desert of the UAE, I think that they need some more trees and grass.  We would love to have them as neighbors!  And when I take them to bars that have this view, it is pretty easy to convince them, or anyone for that matter, that DC is where it is at!

More Roses

As promised earlier in the month, I now present you with the other roses growing in our yard.  The blooms have finally opened (that was the delay!) We now have, in order of appearance, A Shropshire Lad, Benjamin Britten, and Graham Thomas. 

A Shropshire Lad is a climber and we are training it to go along our neighbor's fence-- isn't the fence that is on the right side of a yard technically your neighbors? Anyway, we are hoping that we can train it along the top there and that our neighbors won't mind. If they do, once they smell the roses, their minds will be changed.  I love how the buds are a bright peach color but once the petals open up, it is a very soft pink. 

A Shropshire Lad

Benjamin Britten is finally gotten enough sun and produced several buds which opened only yesterday.  I am not sure what color to call these blooms: magenta? light red? hot pink? The buds, too, are darker than the flowers. I don't know about Will, but I hope that this one climbs up to the roof of the garage and takes over.  It would be absolutely beautiful!

Benjamin Britten

We have planted Graham Thomas by the front door and in an effort to be nice to the gas man, we have tried to tie up and trellis the rose, so he/she won't get pricked to death reading the meter.  Originally I had wanted the rose to curl around the column of the front porch, but realized that when said column needed to be painted, removing thorny stems would not be fun.  So, a trellis instead.  This is also the first of the blooms from the rose, as the white azalea bush is pretty dominate in the front yard until we trimmed it back to make more light for the rest of the plants. 

Graham Thomas

All of these bushes have now lead me to spend a good 45 minutes on the David Austin web site picking out another 3 bushes.  Maybe 4.  We have plenty of yellow and peachy flowers, and two reddish ones.  I am thinking that we need another white (we have only one), an orange (the one we have is a rose tree and pretty pathetic), and some deep reds.  I have made a list of ones I would like to have and I am having a hard time limiting myself to the 3 or 4 that we decided we had room for.  Now I am looking at other plants/bushes we have in the yard that will be sacrificed for a new rose.  I am looking at you butterfly bush...