Thursday, October 07, 2021

Around the House

 Garden:  I wish I had a field to sow entirely with cosmos.  Those gorgeous, sunny, swaying flowers would seed and reseed into a blanket of gold that would cover acres if allowed. 


 
But in the tiny space allotted to me, they have pushed their limits and infringed on the verbena, basil, dianthus, tickseed, and anything that doesn't top their height.  Milkweed does well as it grows taller, but low growing plants, where are they?  

Looking for the verbena, dianthus, or even angelonia, I part those delicate stems of the cosmos and there, overlooked and forgotten, are the low-growing kin.  

This is my fault, of course.  First, by helping the plants by gathering and flinging their seeds everywhere a couple of years ago, then by failing to thin them, tacitly giving permission for a cosmos takeover.  

The unpleasant task of pulling up healthy, blooming cosmos has been mine.  And all the associated guilt.  But look there is the fountain, visible again!


Much more needs to be done.  I'm going to do some re-figuring and hope for better luck next year.  I love the cosmos and lantana, but they take up so much of the limited available space in such a tiny garden area.  They have to stay--because I love them and they are so attractive to butterflies and bees, but I am going to have to learn to contain them.  Self-discipline is not my strong suit.  It is difficult to resist those blooms, to cut and trim, and pull up seedlings that are so determined to survive.

Mail:  I'm catching up on correspondence, and I'm in a Halloween mood.

This envelope is actually orange...not pale peach!


Having trouble with the scanner, so photos instead.


Books/Reading:  I have several books in progress.  Always.   Still reading The Sixth Extinction, which is both wonderful and frightening.  I stall when I realize how much of the life here on earth has disappeared in the last few decades, and I turn to fiction and read for escapism.  

Just Wow!

French artist's work is off the wall!

Check out some of his work.

18 comments:

  1. It is difficult to take out healthy but greedy plants, but hopefully it will help the other plants thrive. Hopefully you can use the fresh flowers inside the house. I will have to buy some cosmos. I haven't had much luck with lantana, but I do love it.

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    1. Although the cosmos flowers don't last long, I usually have them in tiny vases in the house because they are so bright and cheerful! It is difficult to pull healthy plants, and I do wish I had an adjacent meadow for them.

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  2. I’m always excited to see your posts and your incoming and outgoing mail. I’ve been away from the internet for a while and have had an enjoyable time scrolling through your posts that I’ve missed. Love all your little monster dolls and their spooky words.

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    1. Thanks, Annie! I've been busy catching up on unanswered correspondence. I have a tendency to concentrate on one thing at a time and neglect something else. :)

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  3. The cosmos has been particularly enthusiastic in my mother's garden this year, too - maybe there's just something in the air?

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    1. This year has certainly been ideal for cosmos, but as lovely and graceful as they are, I don't have enough room for them to romp all over everything else. :)

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  4. I love cosmos and had them in my garden when we lived in Nebraska, but they do get a bit invasive. A friend told me to put them in pots to keep them from encroaching on other plants in the flower bed. Never did, but it seems like a good idea.

    That dinosaur art is incredible. Reminds me of the fancy chalk art displays that show that sort of perspective.

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    1. The cosmos seed prolifically! I love/hate that about them. :) Maybe the pots would help, if I pulled up all the seedlings they spread.

      Yes, and I love those chalk art displays, too!

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  5. Hi Jen, catching up on the last posts, and I am still laughing (: Love all the Halloween Monsters. I meant to behave, but there were too many options... is my favorite

    Thank you for all the happy and fun posts

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    1. Thanks, Hester! I have had so much fun with the little scrap monsters. :)

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  6. Beautiful envelops!
    And thanks for sharing about this French artist, I didn't know him.
    I definitely want to read The Sixth Extinction!
    Enjoy your Sunday

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    1. Pierrot is so talented, and I love the way he makes anything, no matter how tired, rusted, or intrinsically ugly--beautiful and fun! Yes, The Sixth Extinction is worth reading. It is interesting, informative, and sad to know how much the earth is losing.

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  7. I love those bright blooms and I love a garden that looks a bit wild but I understand how you have to cut back so other beauties will show through. And, your spooky correspondence is wonderful. Perfect for the season! The French artist's artwork is amazing!

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    1. I like a little wildness, too, but have had to control several plants that tend to get too greedy. :)
      Isn't it fun to see an artist who can transform the most mundane thing into fun and whimsical! Pierrot is a talented artist with a sense of humor!

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  8. I love the art too. I agree with you about pulling up plants-I even get a bit extreme when it comes to some weeds-I like some of them, so I don't pull them up. I haven't planted cosmos in a while-I need to do that next year. I always love your mail art-love especially the fall colors in this post.

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    1. Artists that share their work in such a public way, making ordinary things charming delight me. If you need cosmos seeds, let me know, I can't help keeping them, and would gladly share! :)

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  9. I think I need to get some cosmos and let the monkey grass and cosmos duke it out next to the driveway. I think some of our English ivy got a fungus and has all croaked. I'll know if the other side of the driveway where I actually water gets infected. Our last two camellias have died and we had the city take down our dead pin oak in front of the house. The lantana still lives. ;-) I'm not feeling like we have much of a green thumb at the moment. Just reading the news alarms me, The Sixth Extinction would send me over the edge.

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    1. Girl, I've got cosmos seeds! I'll send you some--but fair warning, as beautiful as they are, if you given them a couple of years, they'll take over. Hmmm, I won't lay bets on the cosmos vs monkey grass victor.

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Good to hear from you!