Love-In

My favourite time of day is between 7 and 8 pm. When we come home from work and usually food shopping, I dump my bags, put anything requiring refrigeration away, put the mail on the counter, pour myself a glass of red wine, and head outside to hang with the cats and survey the gardens. Some might say this is too much alcohol but I feel it compliments my garden love-in perfectly. They're both good for the heart...

Last night I wandered the grounds, as I like to call them, with my glass and hose nozzle in-hand. I stuck the base of my wine glass in the dirt and lightly weeded one area, the put it down and planted a little old tin pot with a dahlia and some nasturtium seeds. I am truly in love with my garden. Every day I notice something new. I don't know if I've achieved succession planting or not, but in my boomerang garden, the perennial alyssum and forget-me-nots are on their way out while the giant white irises are in their full glory, the yellow irises are beginning to unfurl (which will look marvellous next to my bright purple spiderwort, also ramping up for a beautiful display), and the yellow lilies and purple globe thistles are beginning to bud. In another garden area, the dark purple centaurea and dusty pink perennial geraniums are getting set, while the lupins and 'Queen of Night' tulips are fading. Ahhh. It keeps me on my toes. Thank god for digital cameras, because film would put me in the poor house.

I haven't checked the veggie garden thoroughly in the last couple of days, but I am happy to report that last night I saw that I actually have two baby eggplant seedlings left and not one, as I thought 2 days ago. Phew. The veggies seem to be ok - still getting accustomed to their new surroundings - but I don't go in there because I have a new sprinkler system, which I turn on from up at the house, and I don't wanna get caught in the spray wearing my work clothes.

I had the worst nightmare last night. I dreamt that I woke up and looked out the window to see a howling icy snowstorm. Everything was dead from the sudden frost. The dream gave me palpitations and it was hard to fall asleep again - thank god it was still stinking hot when I woke up this morning.

Flowers, greenery, water, sun, wine, cats, warmth, free time - it just cannot get any better than this. I am in love.