Seeking Serenity

   Sometimes, you just have to slow down and take things as they come.  You can literally work yourself into a frenzy attempting to accomplish all that the brain tells you to do.  When that happens, it is time to step back, think if all of the hustle and bustle is worth the end result and then make a decision that deems itself worthy.  Mine, today, was to sit back and enjoy the jasmine and roses which are in full bloom just outside the front door.  I dragged the wicker chair from another part of the yard, poured myself a second mug of coffee and breathed deeply.  The coolness of the morning, the scent of jasmine and roses and total relaxation was good for the soul...not to mention the mind.

  Lately, I have been feeling that I have been slacking.  It seems that I am far behind where I should be by this season.  Perhaps that comes with not seeing a garden flourishing but it was my decision to not overplant the spot.  Five tomato plants and five pepper plants are all that were planted this season other than herbs.  It was my plan to dote on those herbs and replenish my waning stockpile.  Sure, I could just head to the store and buy the outrageously expensive stuff but, with all the recalls, as of late, I am hesitant to do that.  So, herbs it is!  Those shall be dried and stored for future use.  

  In the meantime, however, I shall continue to putter around in the garden spots if for no other reason than to enjoy the blooms and glorious aromas.  Gardens...they are good for you...sometimes simply by being. Bask in the serenity that only nature can bring.

Low Tide, Jasmine and Bayou Scents

   More oft than not, if someone describes the "smells" of a bayou, they have to include the musty, heavy smell of low tide.  It is then that the mud is exposed.  Here, we do not have the sandy beaches or even the hard clay bottoms.  We have mud.  Mud that swallows things completely in a matter of minutes.  To give you an idea about this, when Pop was in his 70s, he was putting an outboard motor on his old, wooden skiff when he slipped.  The outboard motor went into the 2 feet of water and submerged.  Dad never found that motor.  The boat was not 5 feet from shore and the motor still sank to parts unknown.  The muck devoured the thing!  He even took a long pole and gently shoved it into the mud thinking, if he hit something hard, he would know where to search.  The pole was about 10 feet in length and he never hit anything.  Time and time again, he prodded but with no luck. The mud is an entity in its own right.  And, yes, that mud does smell bad to outsiders. We have become so accustomed to the "low-tide smell" that we never notice.

  That does not mean that the Bayou is nothing but stench.  Quite the contrary, my friends.  When in bloom, the place smells heavenly!  This far south, there is always something aromatic in the air.  Right now, it is the Confederate Jasmine.  This vine is one of those plants that was imported from Asia a century ago and has pretty much claimed the area as its own.  The smell of jasmine wafting on the breeze, front screened porches, windows flung open and wooden rocking chairs pretty much adds up to a perfect evening.  

  The jasmine and roses are in full bloom right now, the azaleas with their sweet aroma and citrus trees just waned and the wisteria is setting buds as are the magnolias.  It is practically a merry-go-round of delightful floral scents!  Any of these are enough to make you forget all about our mud!

Happiness Wafting on the Breeze!

  After termites ravaged the Little Bayou House, their voracious appetites turned to the fences and arbors.  For the past two months, I cut back the roses, wisteria and jasmine that covered these areas and ripped out every fence post and arbor.  It hurt so to cut back all of the antique roses knowing that the severe pruning may have just killed them altogether.  Wisteria and jasmine are some of those things that you just about cannot kill but roses, on the other hand, take a bit of babying to make them do just so.  These roses were ones that were passed down by family members and included a bush from each of my grandmothers' gardens.  It was such a relief to see the new growth on the bushes and even a few buds.  

  The jasmine, too, is starting to bloom and this morning, my first sensation for the day was the sweet aroma wafting on the soft breeze.  Oh, my!  Memories of summer breezes, front porches and heavily scented nights came to mind.  The jasmine, along with magnolias and gardenias, is a favorite garden staple here in the Deep South.  It is sort of funny when you think about the Confederate Jasmine as being "southern" as it is actually not a native plant.  It, like so many plants, is native to Asia and was transported here more than a hundred years ago.  It obviously acclimated well and soon became "our" plant.  The name has changed many times over the years depending on who you ask.  The scientific name is Trachelospermum jasminoides but it also goes by Star Jasmine, Pinwheel Jasmine, Southern Jasmine and, of course, Confederate Jasmine. 

  While the Confederate Jasmine does extremely well and will cover a fence or support quickly, it has a slow start.  After the first year, however, watch out!  It will aggressively cover anything within its reach!  It is with all of that abundant growth, though, that comes the heavenly scent!  Oh, and just so you will know, this is not even a true jasmine!  

Validation!

  Recently, I had someone tell me that I should start clearing out things to make life easier.  I admit that I am getting older and it is taking longer to accomplish anything so I had to mull over the idea.  "Declutter the house, purge unneeded items and clear the yard of plants." I was told.  The person then proceeded to tell me that I was too old to be dealing with "things"and gardens and such. It was her idea that I would be much happier (in an empty house and barren wasteland of a yard.)  "You will have so much free time!" Hogwash!  Well, it is not my nature to live in a barren place and, personally, what would I do with free time if there is nothing to fill it?  Later, I questioned Son about the whole craze of "purging" and why people tend to think I need to be doing it.  He answered by posing yet another question..."Are the folks trying to get you to convert to their ways or are they simply needing validation for theirs?"  Uh, oh....I had to ponder that long and hard.

  Years ago, Granddad told me that "If you ever run out of things to do, you might as well not be living."  I pondered that point as well.  I was trimming out the jasmine vines (and one knows that wielding snips does not take a lot of thought) when the mind wandered to Granddad's point.  That soon overlapped to the conversation with my well-meaning visitor who is after me to clear out everything. "If you purge everything, life will be so easy because you will have nothing to do!" I was told as if that was a good thing. It came to me that if life ever got too easy and I had nothing to do, why even get out of bed in the morning?  Oh, that would never work!  I would be slap miserable! This morning, I awoke with the urgent need to trim the jasmine vines before the rains set in for the next few days.  I HAD something to do!  Each and every morning is much the same.  There is always some chore, some creative endeavor, some duty to be fulfilled...there is always something to get me up each day even if it is to dust all of my so-called collectibles!  I want things to do.  I do not want to stagnate.  I do not want to live in a void.  I do not want an empty life. I want to have things to look forward to each and every day.  I want to live a life of fullness whether that be of people, critters, hobbies and, yes, things.  Keep in mind, I do not begrudge others of their mindset.  Some of the ideas are helpful. That is their business...and, perhaps, I am just "validating" mine.  I did, however, purge the jasmine vines of all of their excess growth! 

The Jasmine Wall Diner

  The jasmine vine is in full bloom and the yard smells divine!  With this aroma wafting on the cooling bay breeze, every critter for miles (it seems) has decided to come taste the nectar.  There is nothing more inviting to nectar drinking insects than to have an entire wall of flowers from which to choose.  Bumblebees, honeybees, milkweed bugs, moths, butterflies and ants are all visiting.  They are feasting alongside the hummingbirds so the entire fence line is a busy place.

  I headed out to trim back the wisteria that has decided to join the roses and jasmine on the fence.  This is a volunteer plant but mingles well as long as I can keep the wild vines from choking everything else.  My trimming came to a quick halt when I realized that, besides the insects and hummers, another bunch of critters were in the jasmine.  The tiny green tree frogs were hiding among the leaves.  I would have hated to accidentally snipped a froggy! These little frogs are smart.  They know that the blooms will attract millions of insects so they sit and wait for the opportune moment to catch a meal.  It seems that the jasmine wall is a feeding place for many.

  Watching the frog for a moment, I noticed that a weird black and orange beetle was also on the vines.  It took me a moment to realize that this beauty was a milkweed bug.  While these critters do not really hurt the plants, they do reproduce rapidly and can make the garden look quite infested.  Well, this one probably won't.  That sweet froggy was watching the bug's every move.  Buggy may have become Froggy's lunch!

The Scent Wall

  Years and years ago, I bought a small sprig of a jasmine vine.  This was the Confederate Jasmine that can be found all over the Deep South.  To be perfectly honest here, this is not a true jasmine nor is it truly southern.  It just happens to be something someone liked, brought here, planted and then it sort of took root (pun intended).  Folks of the Deep South are all about flowers that smell good and this vine fit the bill perfectly.  Here, we go from wisteria and citrus blooms to jasmine and roses to magnolias and gardenias.  These blooms have some of the most heavenly scents around so we claimed them all.  Having each of these be easy to grow is another apple in the basket for us.  Smell good, easy to grow, pretty to look at...what's not to love.

  Although I did some major pruning on the roses and jasmine this past winter, both have outdone themselves already this spring.  The "wall" of jasmine is filling the entire yard with its sweet, spicy aroma.  At night, with the windows open to let in the cooling bay breezes, the scent fills the house and is far better than any air freshener or candle.  This is the real thing, folks, and it is amazing.  

  The Confederate Jasmine combined with the heritage rose, Seven Sisters, fills the fence.  It makes a perfect privacy screen at all times of the year but in spring, the fence line becomes my "scent wall".  I love it so much that I have rooted several more vines to completely surround the small area known as the Rose Garden.  Roses and jasmine!  What could ever be better?  Maybe it is a southern thing!

Homebound or Flitting About?

  Whether "homebound" or "flitting about", you have to set roots somewhere eventually.  When it comes to either, seeds are pretty miraculously adept.  How remarkable is it to be able to set up a life wherever you stop long enough to establish those roots.  What I call homebound seeds are those that drop directly under the parent plant and then "worm" their way beneath the soil to set up housekeeping. There, the seeds usually sit dormant until the right conditions come to them.  If the ground is moist and warm enough, the seed will start to split and a tiny root will finger its way out of the hull.  That tiny, wispy root will take in nutrition and soon swell enough that the seed literally bursts open.  The stem shoves its way outward and roots sprout along the sides.  As the stem lengthens it pushes the seed toward the warm sunshine.  Finally, when the stem shoves through the soil, it will shed its seed hat and let the leaves unfurl.  

  The flitting about seeds are those that, one way or another, wind up far from the parent plant.  Some seeds "fly" while others hitch a ride.  Seeds like burrs grab ahold to fur, skin or clothing to be scattered about the countryside.  Other seeds hitch a ride via critters eating them and then...well, pooping out the seed in a different spot.  These seed types depend on outsiders to help them find a new home.  Other Flitting About seeds fly.  The "flying" seed are well equipped with fibers or winglike tabs that allow the wind to lift them.  It is not unusual to see clouds of seeds being carried by the breeze.  

  Today as I was trimming the jasmine vines, several seed pods burst open spilling their little feathery seeds into the wind.  A mad dash was made to capture as many of the escaping, runaway seeds before they were carried off to the woods.  It was my desire to let them sprout in flowerpots not in the underbrush.  While the jasmine is beautiful and smells wonderful, a woods full of it might not be the happiest of places. The vines would choke out other small saplings and create a mess!

  The two types of seeds found today were both planted back into the gardens.  The homebound seeds were from the Four-O'clock that bloom in midsummer throughout fall.  They grace the evening and nighttime with their delightful aroma and neon bright blooms.  The flitting about seeds were, of course, the jasmine.  They bloom early summer to midsummer and, like the Four-O'clocks, make the yard smell incredible.  I am glad I salvaged the seeds!

Not Quite a Spider!

  I figured while there was a break from cold in the weather it would be a grand time to transplant the Bell Pepper plants and a lone volunteer tomato plant.  I have been dutifully covering and wrapping these things since the first cool spell hit weeks ago.  The plants all managed to survive even though several times the night's temperatures dipped into the 20s.  Earlier in the fall, my vision was to have fresh peppers and tomatoes throughout the winter.  Michael built me a wonderful greenhouse that should provide enough warmth and light to allow the plants to survive nicely.  The addition of a couple of heat lamps keeps the nighttime temperatures from dropping below freezing.

  While I was outside digging in the planter boxes, a slight movement to my left caught my eye.  I saw what I assumed was a spider clinging to the side of one of the boxes.  This "spider" must be out enjoying the warm day just like me!  Ahhh, a kindred spirit!  Neither of us could stand being cooped up inside any longer.  That said, I decided to make friends with my visitor.  First move was to don the spectacles as without them, I might mistake the dog for the spider.  (Ok, the eyes are not quite THAT bad but you get the idea.)  Then I leaned over to where I first spied this critter.  Imagine my surprise when it was not a spider at all.  Why!  It was not even a critter at all!  Nope, there flopping in the wind was some sort of wispy seed-like thing with bunches (instead of eight) of thin "legs".

  Ok, so I humbly admitted that my spider was not a spider and decided that the seed was just as interesting and less likely to bite.  I pondered just what plant had sent its seed flying about the hillside on such feathery light wings.  There were several options all ranging from dandelions, jasmine, butterfly weed and willow.  Any one of these could be responsible.  I figured that the plant/tree would have to be somewhat nearby for the seed to be blown into such a small corner.  Meandering about a bit, I found my answer.  The Confederate Jasmine had several spent seed pods flapping in the Bay breeze.  Alrighty then!  I suppose that come springtime, I had better be on the lookout for tiny jasmine seedlings.  (I also had better start wearing my glasses more as some day, I might just think I have found a seed and grab ahold to an actual spider!  Not that I am squeamish at all about them but I definitely do not need another spider bite!  They do hurt!)

A New View

 For one reason or another, Mark has been away from home at a very inopportune time each year.  Why, may you ask, is it such an inopportune time?  Well, it is right at this time of year when all of the roses are in bloom.  He worked so hard building the fences around the Rose/Herb Garden only to be away at the very time the roses and jasmine were in their full glory.  He could only revel in their beauty by pictures that I would send to him.  Never could he smell the sweet scent that would waft in through the open windows. Never could he be able to sit and enjoy his morning coffee in the comfy chairs while viewing the blooms still adorned with the morning dew.  Never...well, you get the idea.  He just missed the best part of spring..until THIS year!  He was out on another trip and arrived just in the nick of time!  We are expecting hard rains for the next few days and I am sorely afraid that the garden will take a beating.  I am so elated that he was able to enjoy at least one mug of coffee with me as we were surrounded by the beauty!

  It does, indeed, seem to be a grand year for roses!  I have never seen the bushes be so full of blooms and the jasmine has literally taken over the fence and arbor!  I marvel each time I walk through the garden or even stand at the window.  The climbing roses are arched fully to the ground while the jasmine has just about taken over the dead Black Gum tree.  (If the Red-bellied Woodpeckers don't take flight soon, they might just have to fight their way out of the hole to their nest!)

  All of this makes for a wonderful way to awake in the morning and an equally relaxing way to wind down in the evening.  Being surrounded by all of this beauty and delightful aromas makes the hard work all worth while.  One of my friends said that she thought we should find a way of "bottling this entire garden"!  I agree!  It is all too fleeting.  There is only a short few weeks that Mother Nature graces us with these blooms.  The rest of the summer pales in comparison.  I really need to work on that.  I must find some "hot-weather", highly-scented plants with gorgeous, showy blooms!  Any ideas?

The Little White Bird......or not!

Mark and I were traipsing about the hillside early this morning.  We were turning off the outdoor faucets and checking for any damage that the harsh weather of the past few days might have rendered upon the pipes. Thankfully, none could be found.  Our preparations and precautions had been a success.  Now things could sit for a few days until the next go round which should come early to midweek.  Ice is not something that is common around here so it was treated as the novelty it was.  So far, the persimmon seed prediction of snow has proved to be wrong unless one considers sleet to be in the same category as snow.  Not me.

Just before we headed back into the Little Bayou House, I spied what I thought was a small white bird in the Jasmine vine.  Hmmm...we have no white birds around here unless you look toward the Bay. Could one of my little terns taken refuge in the vine and decided that it was a nice place to rest for the entire day?  Had some poor little songbird gone bellyup in the ice storm and making its white underbelly visible?  Or was I merely viewing some wayward paper or plastic that the high winds had deposited in my arbor?  Bad eyesight plays all sorts of tricks on one's mind!  This called for an investigation, though.

Upon closer inspection, I found that I was wrong on all counts.  The "white bird" was none than a Jasmine seed pod that had burst open after the ice had melted from the vine.  The feathery pappi (white fluffy part) looked a lot like the underbelly feathers of a bird.  After taking a few pictures, Mark and I searched the vine for other seed pods.  He found one other which also had burst.  We picked both and toted them inside.  Soon, I will stir up a bit of the hotbed and sow these seeds.  Hopefully in a few weeks, I will see tiny seedlings sprouting!  I do, indeed, love my Jasmine even if its seed pods are tricksters!  I cannot wait until early spring when my arbor once again looks like the above picture!

Loving my Gardens!

Every day, I take several hikes around the garden.  Sometimes, it is to see what chores need to be done, sometimes, I walk to ponder some problem but most of the time, I just amble about looking at what is growing there!  My gardens make me happy when I see them flourishing!  This year, however, things look a mite bleak.  With the warm weather, I had planted early.  Things were starting to pop up everywhere and I thought for sure that the plants were going to thrive.  Then during the first week of April...grasshoppers!  Millions of the baby Eastern Lubber grasshoppers hatched out and devoured my entire garden in a matter of hours!  The beautiful squash plants were gone!  The bean plants eaten!  Even the potato plants were damaged!  The vegetable garden does not look so nice after this attack!

Still, today, as I wandered the pathways, I found beauty.  I decided to stick to the path through the flower gardens!  The Day Lilies are trying their best to put out new blooms.  The same grasshoppers had eaten all of the first attempts but now...blooms!  One of my favorites is a pale yellow Day Lily that my sweet daughter-in-law, Joanna, gave to me!  I am so happy to see this has survived the buggy onslaught!

Just a bit further down the path, the Deutzia Scabra is covered with fluffy white blooms!  The softly sweet aroma made me hesitate a bit near this bush.  As I stood looking at the feathery white fronds, I thought of the farm.  Mom and Pop had the original of this bush..mine is a cutting from theirs.  I thought of how many of my plants originated in other gardens.  This makes each that much more special...memories are tied to these plants!

My walk took me on the little wood bridge over what used to be Puddlepond.  My dear little pond had met its demise through a hapless accident with a pitchfork and a cottonmouth moccasin. Since the plastic liner had acquired several unfixable holes, I turned this pond into the new herb garden!  It is working out well and the plants are  actually quite happy as the holey liner holds just enough moisture!  The herbs all look healthy so I am guessing that grasshoppers do not eat herbs!

On the fence, the Confederate Jasmine is in its last stages but the Gloriosa Lilies are beginning to take up the slack.  The red lilies contrast quite nicely against the white jasmine.  These both are hand-me-down plants..the jasmine from my Grandparents and the Gloriosa Lilies from Mom and Pop.

I continued my stroll until just before dark.  Both dogs, Ezzy and Sunny, decided it was time to go inside for their supper so that ended my garden escape.  Well, almost..with the windows open, I can still smell the sweet scent of the jasmine and roses one the Bay breeze!   Oh, how I love my gardens!!!

Summer Breeze...

After several rainy days and nights, the sun finally popped through the clouds today giving me the opportunity to open all the windows! The summer breezes off of the Bay blew through the house making it delightfully cool. There is no need for air conditioning on wonderful days like today! Even though it was a balmy eighty-five degrees outside, it was not one bit uncomfortable inside! As I opened the windows facing the Bay, I immediately caught the light, airy scent of the Jasmine! Before all of this rain, the vine was just setting the buds but today...the vine was in full bloom. The sweet scent soon filled the room better than any of those sprays or scented candles! Ahh...summer breezes and aromas of jasmines and roses...does it get any better than this?

The Confederate Jasmine covers the arbor just south of the front door. This intermingles with the Seven Sister's Rose to provide the perfect setting for a true "Southern Night". I keep telling Mark that all I need is a screened porch! Can't you just imagine....screened porch..porch swing..jasmine and rose vines and a glass of sweet tea! Ideal!

The Confederate Jasmine is a fast-growing, twining vine that will quickly cover any arbor with evergreen foliage. It blooms in early spring filling the arbor with clusters of small white "pinwheel" flowers. These small blossoms carry a huge scent and can perfume the entire yard! Contrary to its name, Confederate Jasmine is not a true jasmine nor is it a "Southern" original. It is actually from China! The neat "tangle" of slender vines are covered with glossy evergreen leaves making it the perfect plant to be used as a privacy screen for outdoor "rooms". When left to wild abandon, it will quickly clamber over fences or arbors. But it is that aroma that will bring back memories of "Grandma's house" or of sweet romances of one's youth.

Today as I threw open the windows, I gave thanks for the summer..for breezes..for jasmine..for windows..for being granted another day and for grandparents. I thought of my grandmother and her little white, gardening gloves and flower basket. Several times each week, she would head out into the flower gardens that were so carefully tended by my grandfather. There she would do her "gardening" which consisted mainly of picking bouquets of flowers to be arranged in vases for the house. Behind Grandpa's shed was a large trellis that was just brimming with the Confederate Jasmine. Grandmother would always add a sprig or two to the bouquet so the aroma would scent the house. Roses, daisies, jasmine and maybe petunias would all be put in her flower basket and then carried inside. She would carefully arrange these in vases for the tabletops. Ahhh...memories!

"Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind."~Seals and Crofts