Friday, February 18, 2022

Five on Friday: Things I've Been Pondering

 


1. Goodbye hedge. Our back garden is hedged in on two sides with very tall cedars providing a green wall seen in the blurred background of the junco. Unfortunately, roots have invaded the vegetable beds and the flower beds just in front of the hedge, making them very difficult to work in. After discussing the pros and cons, Tim has cut the back hedge on the north side down to stumps. Next he will pull the stumps out. Our garden is much lighter now, but not as private. After the stumps are gone and new dirt laid down, the fun begins. What to plant?


2. Our soil is acidic because of all the rain, and doubly so because of the hedge. I suggested rhododendrons because they are evergreen and also flower. Last Sunday we wandered through Finnerty Gardens, part of the University of Victoria, where rhodos abound. I didn't think we'd find any blooming yet, and was so pleased to find a few bright pink buds. In a couple of weeks it will be stunning. We're thinking of a clumping birch tree to anchor the bed, and rhodos in the back, along with hydrangeas and some of the perennials that are there already.


3. Beautiful hellebores were blooming under the rhodos. 

Do you remember chain letters? How annoying they were - promising this that or the other thing if you followed the directions. I'm afraid that I broke a lot of chains. But lately I've been mulling over how something I read in one book leads me to another and to another and so on, and how rewarding it is. For example, I'm reading Laura Pashby's Little Stories of Your Life, and in it she mentions Ross Gay's The Book of Delights, which I ordered from the library and am now reading, too. And that led me to think about the practice of writing, and how I want to be more faithful in writing regularly. Not just here, but in my personal journal, and a couple of other projects. Each piece of nudging is a link in a chain. Where it ends is up to me. 


4. On Wednesday morning I looked out of my window to see the fat round moon glowing in a soft pink-streaked sky. I was up early to drive to Ashley's to watch the girls while she went to physio. I caught glimpses of the moon, so pale, drifting among the trees as I drove. I've been holding the grace and beauty of that moon close this week that has been tumultuous in several ways. 


5. I've run across some lovely words from other people this week and will leave you with a few of them.

"Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake."

Sir Francis Bacon

"Some journeys take us far from home. Some adventures lead us to our destiny."

C. S. Lewis

"We need joy as we need air, we need love as we need water. 

Maya Angelou


I hope for a good weekend for you all whether you are in the midst of storms physical or spiritual. I hope you have  something beautiful in your mind to hold during these troubled days. 


34 comments:

  1. Troubled days. Indeed. I hope the world moves forward without fear!

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  2. The Book of Delights sounds like a book I will request from our library. Thanks for mentioning it.
    Your Hellebores are beautiful. Mine are slow to bloom this year but there are lots of buds.

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  3. What beautiful Hellebores you have. Mine havent been quite so good this year. Camellias will grow in acidic soils also and rhodos are lovely. I hope you ponder successfully.

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  4. Ooh, rhododendrons blooming... In Eastern Finland, we have about one metre of snow now. :)
    Your photos are spectacular and the future back garden hedge sounds lovely.
    There are indeed many worries in these days. We pray for the best.
    Stay well!

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  5. What a time it has been. I hope better times will come.

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  6. P.S. My son was reluctant to tell me they have crocus coming up, but it's so different here.

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  7. Your new rhododendron plans sound wonderful. I love the quote by Bacon.

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  8. I love the hellebores! I don't think I have ever seen them in real life, though. And, I love your analogy of the chain! Never thought of it that way but how profound!

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  9. That is a wonderful quote from Sir Francis Bacon. Something we all need to take to heart.

    Praying for Canada ...

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  10. Hard to decide to remove a hedge. Glad you are doing it.

    🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸

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  11. Lovely thought.... How one thing leads to another. So true.

    🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸

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  12. Lovely description of the moon. Lovely quotes as well...

    🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸

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  13. I so dislike having to write quick, choppy comments.

    But it's the only way, to get my comments published.

    🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸

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  14. If I take time, my comments vanish... sigh

    🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸 🌸

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  15. Thank you for your nice words and the wonderful photos. Today I saw the first snowdrops and crocuses with us.
    Spring is coming, even though I went skiing in the mountains on Sunday.
    Here with us there are many rhododendron bushes in the most diverse colors, they need acidic and loose permeable soil. Much luck.
    Happy greetings from Viola

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  16. Thank you for your good wishes, finding like-minded bloggers, their posts and comments make up for much else that goes on in these miserable times.
    Cutting down a hedge is always a bit of an undertaking, but gaining light for favourite plants is good. I have hedges all round but there is enough garden to cope with them. Having said that I will add that my garden helper has cut most of the hedges down by a couple of feet and thinned the excess growth out this winter.

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  17. Is it possible to build a raised bed? Say a 2 or 3 footer to raise the garden above the root situation? Rhododendrums (sp?)tend to spread wide.

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  18. What good things to think about, planning your new border. Your pictures are beautiful.

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  19. Thanks for sharing these lovely photos. Chain letters—- they remind me of some of those scam emails where you are to forward it to everyone. Well,they end with me.

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  20. Beautiful photos! There is something so brave about early blooms, the ones that remind us that spring is coming.
    Amalia
    xo

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  21. So lovely to see those hellebores. Always worthwhile to have change in a garden, removing those hedges will open up many colourful possibilities. I’m noting those books down, chain connections are good. B x

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  22. Removing those hedges will open up lots of colourful possibilities. Love the hellebores and I’ve noted down those book titles. B x

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  23. Removing those hedges will open up lots of colourful possibilities. Love the hellebores and I’ve noted down those book titles. B x

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  24. You have a way with words and it is good that you devoted to writing more. Love the Hellebores...

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  25. Lovely post, Lorrie. I am always intrigued by the 'chain link' effect: how one thing leads to another and another. My goodness. You mention Laura Pashby's Little Stories of Your Life; I just gave it to my sister for Christmas. And last night I pulled from my shelf Ross Gay's The Book of Delights to re-read because a local author/librarian mentioned it in a recent CBC interview she gave locally. And here you are mentioning it this morning. Small world.

    I'm loving those photos from Finnerty Gardens - what a beautiful place it is. We've visited it on occasion when we've come to Victoria. I am especially smitten by your hellebore photos. They are such beauties.

    Thanks!

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  26. I read this post last night before I went to bed and again just now. I am always pondering. And hoping that I'm living my life the way I should...which means using my time in the best way possible. I want to be balanced it's the hardest thing right now. I'm trying to do things I enjoy for my own health and well being but there are so many other things to deal with. This post is my favorite post this week! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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  27. Beautiful thoughts...I especially loved the quotes. I have always loved, Maya Angelou, she somehow just speaks to my heart. I love seeing flowers that are blooming, we are still in the deep freeze here. I can hardly wait to get outside and into my garden. I have 4 very large pine trees that need to be taken out, and I'm afraid it will really cut down on my privacy, but it is necessary. I'm hoping that I will be able to find some plants that love acidic soil as well. Have a great week!

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  28. I've never seen Hellebores before, Lorrie!

    How beautiful!

    Happy Monday!

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  29. Lots of pondering . . . and I think that lots of work happens in the pondering! Having some new beginnings in your garden is exciting! I hope that this new week is a bit less tumultuous, and if not, that your heart is at peace in it.

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  30. Such a beautiful post, Lorrie, filled with lovely truths to ponder. Gardening means forever changing things up, but oh the possibilities! Love your photo of the junco.

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  31. Yes, I remember chain letters! I don't usually participate in them and haven't received one in years.

    But a few weeks ago, I got a "Sticker Club" letter from my 6-year-old godson: you send stickers to the 1st person on the list and forward the letter to 6 other people (so I think you may receive stickers from up to 36 people?). I didn't forward to 6 other people, but I did send stickers back to the 1st person on the list.

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  32. Your garden flowers are so beautiful. I love the sound of what you are doing by opening up a space in the garden to dream of something new and beautiful.

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  33. I like that quote by Sir Francis Bacon. How true! Maybe it's the age I am, relating to it in big ways. I also like your challenge to write more. Your hellebore is beautiufl! I was gifted the same one recently and will look forward to it every year.

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  34. Thank you for sharing your sweet ponderings -- your posts pretty much always always make me think (or at least ponder) about one thing or another and often lead to that good kind of chain. Bill calls it getting lost down a rabbit hole when he clicks on something that interests him and then forgets to go back. I call it learning something new! ....

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Thank you for your comment. I read and value each one, cherishing the connections we can make although far apart. Usually, I visit your blog in return, although if you ask a question I try to contact you directly.

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