Bonsai Boys...

Those of you who have followed my adventures over the past few years will remember Bob, my most beloved and beautiful bonsai.

No doubt you will also remember how hard I tried to get Bob special dispensation to accompany me to America--to no avail, of course.  So, you know I ended up giving him a good home with my ex-neighbors in Edinburgh, Lorna and Derek; Derek being a bonsai man in his own right.

A day or two before leaving Scotland, Lorna and Derek gave me a going away gift:  Money to buy a new Bob when we got settled in America--money I have hoarded for the day I find his replacement.  Naturally, there are no bonsai to be found out here in the wilderness.  However, I was talking to Matthew the other day, one thing led to another, and he told me about this little nursery, about ten miles from Roseburg, that might actually have bonsai trees.

This afternoon, after walking the dogs, we drove to the nursery, and **jump up and down with glee** they had a wonderful selection of just amazing bonsai.  Of course, some of them were very old and way too expensive, but I managed to find this little gem...

He doesn't have Bob's stature, or class, but Bob is nearly a decade old, while this guy is a mere sproutling.  It will take some time for me to get him in the proper shape, though he will never have that excellent twisted trunk that Bob does.  Still.  I finally got to spend my "replace Bob" money, and now have another--though very different--bonsai tree.

So, I want to thank Lorna and Derek for two things.  One...for taking Bob in the first place (and he is very much alive and doing well); and second...for giving me the wherewithal to replace him.  Really cool.  Old Bob, New Bob, and I thank you both...

Slow Down Saturday

I jumped from Thursday to Saturday, and left out Friday entirely.  Too much going on yesterday, plus it was a beautiful day and we were out and about for a change doing some fun things.  I meant to take photos of the landscape progress once the guys left, but they were so determined to finish the drip irrigation system, they stayed and stayed, then it was dinner, walk the dogs up the road, blah, blah...and the blog was forgotten.

So, just now I was outside, not only surveying the dried mud damage, but the irrigation system, which on a scorching hot Summer's day in Roseburg, will work beautifully.  We won't lose water to evaporation, the plants will get a constant, steady supply of water from the ground where it will do them the most good, and we won't have an enormous water bill.  Good all around then.

Our very pretty and dainty Weeping Cherry.  Several of the neighbors have stopped to admire it.  As you drive down the road, it just stands out perfectly in that corner.  Once the dirt is raked, and the bark in place, things should look ever so much better...I hope.

My woodland area under the Birch trees, filled with ferns, baby blue Iris, Day lilies, Oregon grape, Mexican Feather grass--it will be a wonderful little space, and totally shaded in the hot sun by the trees.

A different angle, coming off the front deck steps...

One of my new favorite plants: Heavenly Bamboo, which as it turns out is not bamboo at all, but looks like it.  The variegated leaf colors and the bamboo-like stalks are just totally cool.  I love bamboo, just not their invasive qualities.  With this plant, I get the look without the aggro.

My least favorite area of the whole entire property.  Barry's house looms over this side of our yard and house, plus the ground is just awful; it's virtually bedrock, and slopes very sharply.  We have planted two staggered rows of eleven brilliant red Rhododendrons, then covered the dirt below with 25 little ground cover plants.  I can't think of their name at the moment, though they will grow into a hillside of tiny yellow flowers...at some point anyway.  It took lots of tubing to get the irrigation everywhere along here.

One of the two trees planted in the backyard.  This is the Weeping Twisted Birch, the other is a deep purple Lilac further up the slope.  I love this tree, it's so elegant and interesting, isn't it, with the weeping, and the twisted trunk..??

That about takes care of the landscaping for this week.  It's been a grueling, miserable time, but from now on, it should all be downhill.  Next week is the fine-tuning, the bark, the grass, and the clean-up.  So, wow, that means by next Saturday...We're Done...!!!!  Oh, most definitely we will have to break out the Prosecco for that event..!!

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After boring everyone into a coma with the garden stuff, I have a couple of things to post that are not related to me, mud or meltdowns.  Actually I have a ton of things I haven't posted this week, but I'll settle for just these two for today...

I love this.  To me, I don't think it's so much the power of the words, but more having the ability to use them to create their power...

Via Presurfer

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And for once, I will finish a post, not with an animal, but with this absolutely adorable little girl.  I want to be her.  Seriously.

We do not stop playing because we grow old.  We grow old because we stop playing.

-- Anon

Via Amo

Have a great weekend everyone...

Snow Day

Seriously.  Can you believe that..??  Woke up this morning to snow.  Now, granted, though everything was covered in white, it wasn't much more than an inch.  Still, I was pretty stunned when I got out of bed and opened the blinds.  This is April, right..??  Isn't that supposed to mean mild Spring rains, flowers, and all that stuff..??

By lunch time I had finished my assigned tasks outside: where to put the last of the plantings.  It was pretty grueling towards the end as I was running out of plants, and still had too much bare ground showing, but after I added a pile of rocks to a large bare area and placed plants between the gaps, that helped.  Besides, over time I will find other plants, rocks, things to fill in the bare ground spaces.

I think we are finally getting to the end of this whole landscaping ordeal project...and man, am I glad.  What was supposed to be about a six-week project has grown into ten and possibly eleven once it's all said and done.  I'm just tired of the mud and the dirt everywhere, the chaos and mayhem.  

In fact, I'm pretty much tired of everything these days.  It's been a very long, convoluted period if you go back to this time last year when we were just getting started on the whole relocation from the UK to the US, packing, moving, new house, etc., etc., blah, blah.  I need a vacation.  Somewhere there are no people, no workmen, no changes, upheavals, egocentric partners, bossy dogs, arguments, decisions, courthouses or jury duties.

This would work nicely...

Boulders and Bad Weather

Today was one of the worst weather days we've had, as far as the landscaping goes.  Of course, it was the very day I had to be outside nearly the whole time.  Pouring rain, and about 15 degrees cooler than normal, it was just a dreadful day.

Except for my three boulders.

I have a thing for rocks, stones, boulders, and have collected pebbles from all over the world, for most of my life.  So, when I wanted some natural art for the front yard, the only thing that would do was a boulder or rock.  Matthew told us to check out the Co-op, so last week Alan and I drove about 10 miles outside Roseburg to the quarry/stone/rock yard to look over the available stock.

Naturally, the first boulder I see--and want desperately--is just a mere 2,700 lbs.  I know that's pretty much out of the realm of possibility, so I move on to two smaller-sized ones.  Later, I tell Matthew I have selected the two and Monday he drives out to see if he can get them in his truck.  I also mention in passing the Goliath boulder, and wax poetic about what a truly amazing thing it is, yada yada.  So, he gets out to the Co-op place, takes a look at what I've set aside, then calls me.  Wants to know if I really want Goliath because he agrees it's a great stone and understands perfectly why I love it.  One thing leads to another and we end up getting all three, though now he can't possibly get them in his truck because of the weight factor, so they have to be delivered by the Co-op.  Today is delivery day.  Totally cool.

The stones arrive, as the rain pours and the mud runs...

Goliath is first off the truck...

There was lots of digging and positioning and repositioning to get this gigantic thing in just the right place as it will never be moved again--unless the entire ridge falls into the abyss...

It took nearly an hour to get to this point.  Seriously.  It was grueling, beyond muddy and miserable, but oh, so worth it when Goliath was in just the right spot...

Here's the finished area, about two hours later with the planting done.  And really, is this a cool piece of natural art, or what..??  Use your imagination here and disregard the frigging mud, picture a beautiful Summer's day with the plants bigger, bark around the boulder, and the unique beauty of this bit of Nature, looking for all the world as if it always lived right in this spot...

Now, back to the two smaller stones, though smaller is a bit misleading.  They were also very heavy, just not so bad as Goliath.  Here's the area cleared for their placement.  Have I mentioned that it rained in buckets, and we were working all day in sloppy, slippery mud..??  I did..??  Well, too bad, I was out in it for hours, so I've earned the right to mention it again--and maybe one or two more times for good measure...

Bad photo taken just after both stones had been maneuvered into place.  It took quite awhile to get them to this point, plus two tractors, a few shovels, and some smaller rocks for balance.  It was very dicey a couple of times, too.  Still.  Perseverance and back-breaking toil can accomplish much...

Couple hours later and again, use your imagination and fast-forward about three months...

The view from the back of the two stones, though I have to say (yes, again), it was absolutely lashing rain when I took this shot and everything--from the driveway to the rocks to the mud puddles--just looks like crap.

Tomorrow we should finish the rest of the planting, then the drip irrigation system will go in on Friday, though I'm finding myself questioning drip irrigation while shivering with cold and soaked from head to totally mud-laden boots.

It's been a very tiring, totally crap weather, hard slog of a day.  But wow, how happy am I to have my boulders...??  Very...

No Time for Coffee Break Tuesday

The day started off with a leap out of bed to hit the deck running.  We needed a bit more dirt for the front before the plants arrived at 10:00am, so the dirt guy was called yesterday and expected around 8:00 this morning.  He showed up early.  After doing his "blow dirt everywhere" thing, Matthew and Rusty headed out to the stone quarry to get an idea what my three large boulders look like.  And no, in case you're wondering: you haven't missed a post; I just haven't mentioned them before now, but they will become an integral feature of the landscape in the front.  I'll tell that tale tomorrow when I can take photos.

Alan and I decided it would be a good time to go grocery shopping while the day was young and before the plants arrived.  As we drove off, I took these "before" photos, just in case the plantings were delivered while we were gone.  The blank canvas of the front yard...

 

So.  We drive down to the gate, and what do we see but all our plants and trees, with Matthew and Rusty loading everything into one of their trailers.  Guess the plant supply guy was early today, too.  (His truck/trailer wouldn't have been able to turn around on our small mountain road so he had to unload on the outside of the gate).

 

I quickly snapped some photos, then off we dashed to the store.  When we got back an hour later, the front was nearly transformed with dozens of pots filled with plants, trees and shrubs.  Though, I think we will still need more before all is said and done.  Turns out, it's a really big front yard.

Now comes the hard part:  Deciding where to plant everything.  It's not easy, especially as I have to try to picture how things will look in a few months, and next year, then five years in the future.  About halfway through driving the guys nuts ("no, no, two feet to the left" and "nope, don't like that there at all"), I realized we will probably need more plants.  But, for now, we will build the bones of the garden, then figure out the rest as we go along.

Putting in the rhododendrons...

Still working on what goes in this small side corner...though the orange cones will be planted somewhere else.

I'm up on the top of our bank now...and see what I mean about how big the front suddenly appears to be..??  WAY too much blank space between everything.  I'm a French Intensive gardener...I don't want to see this much wasted space and/or dirt.  (And these two photos are really the side of the house, not the front at all...)

After the guys planted all the rhodies, the most gorgeous Weeping Cherry, a Magnolia tree, and a Japanese Maple, they moved on to planting the pines along the back fence--mainly because I was losing the plot and couldn't decide what needed to be planted next.  They had saved these six bushes from the front yard when the initial demolition went down, and now it was time to transplant them.  A back-breaking couple of hours later...

And, at last...all planted.  With any luck, they will adjust to being wrapped in burlap balls for the past two months and will now grow big and lush and be a perfect barrier along that portion of the fence to discourage the deer. Who knows..??  If the plan works, I might actually get some flowers in the backyard after all.

It's been pretty much a non-stop sort of day.  Of course, in between all the plants and plans, we had to do the dog walkies, though that wasn't a hardship today as it's been very warm and pleasant.  Perfect to be outside digging in the dirt.

Tomorrow we have to get majorly serious about what goes where.  After I post this, I'm going outside to wander amongst the pots and try to visualize things.  Once the boulders are delivered--first thing in the morning--I'll have a better idea where some things will go as the boulders are truly a feature of the front yard and I have plants specifically in mind to plant around them.  

[**Jumping up and down with excitement here...and just wait until you get a look at these babies...mwahhhahaha...**].

It's another busy day tomorrow, and I'm supposed to be ready to point, direct the flow and know what the hell I'm doing, so I'd better get on with things.  More photos tomorrow...

April and Stuff...

Daisies are the flowers of April, so whilst walking the dogs at the park yesterday, and with camera in hand, I took the new Meandering photo for the month of this lovely little clump growing under an oak tree.  

Though the weather vacillates between torrential downpour and tropical heatwave, we have managed some great walks with our critters lately, sometimes getting home just in the nick of time before the latest storm sweeps across the Valley.  April is definitely an interesting weather month... 

"April cold with dropping rain
Willows and lilacs brings again,
The whistle of returning birds
And trumpet-lowing of the herds."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

"April is the cruelest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain."

- T. S. Eliot

"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything."

- William Shakespeare 

"A gush of bird song, a patter of dew

A cloud and a rainbow's warning;

Suddenly sunshine and perfect blue

An April day in the morning!"

- Harriet Prescott Spofford

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Today is a busy day outside as the guys get everything prepared for tomorrow's big delivery of all the plants, trees and shrubs.  I'm just a bit nervous as I don't want a structured, uniform, too-planned kind of garden; I'm looking for a rugged, blending in, wow-how-cool kind of landscape.  I sure hope that's how it turns out.

Regardless--and nerves aside--I am very excited.  April seems like the perfect month to have this happen, doesn't it..??  Many photos will be taken, starting tomorrow, and no doubt continuing on through the week as things unfold.  I have crossed fingers that we've chosen wisely enough to avoid a "come and get it" smorgasbord for the deer.

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I have some cool stuff to post, but I'm going to save it for tomorrow's Coffee Break.  I will leave you with this however, and hope it brings a smile to your Monday...

Cinema Sunday

Here's a good short animation film for Sunday.  Enjoy it, and your day...

Saturday Trivia...

Yesterday's trials and tribulations didn't happen after all.  I was not selected for jury duty as there is apparently nothing noteworthy in Douglas County requiring jurors--so far.  I am also off the hook for Monday, though for the rest of April, I have to call the Juror Hotline every night at 6:00pm to find out if I'm needed the following morning.  At least I don't have to go to the courthouse every day, which is a slight reprieve from my angst-ridden expectations.

After a long, convoluted conversation with Matthew, we also decided it wasn't necessary to go with him to the nursery supply place today.  He had a complete inventory of plants/trees/shrubs from the nursery, so we just walked around our garden areas and working from his diagrams, could pretty much decide what would work, and where, and how many.  If all goes well, the stuff will be delivered on Tuesday, and planting will begin..!!  I can't wait.  It's been nothing but mud and dirt and barren ground for over two months now--I want to see some life, and green growing things.

Three heavenly days of sunshine and totally warm weather have evaporated into rainy, windy April showers today.  Yesterday it got into the mid-70s, which was almost too amazing to believe.  We had every door and window in the house open in an effort to dissipate the unexpected heat, and it was nearly 10:00pm last night before it felt cool enough to close things up again.  I know, I know.  I'm sure those of you still in the cold, chilly throes of early Spring are probably wishing I would shut up; if it's any consolation, today is just as miserable as April should be.

It's sort of an agonizing teaser to have these spectacular glimmers of sun, and warmth, and an early Summer-like feel to things, then have it abruptly snatched away in a flurry of rain and storms and cold.  Mother Nature has a strange sense of humor, I think.

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I've got a selection of things I fished from the Internet Sea over the past few days, so fill that coffee cup and sit back on this Saturday morning for a bit of trivia...

First up is this very cute video of the quickest way to get down a flight of stairs...

Via Arbroath

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Next are two bored, elderly ladies playing pranks on passing motorists.  I really laughed at this one...

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Last video is very cool.  It's called "water painting" and wow, it's amazing.  This is also an advert for the plight of millions of people around the world who don't have clean water.  Though it's in French, for a written English translation, follow this link then scroll to read the message under the video.

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And to finish the post today, let me share this mind-boggling link to the most stunning bookstore on the planet.  It was originally a theatre, but is now the Ateneo Grand Splendid Bookstore in Buenos Aires.  (I love it...not only Grand, but Splendid as well...)

I live in this small town in the wilderness--(yes, I really do; any town that doesn't have a bookstore is a bloody wilderness in my book...pun intended)--so to see the magnitude of this place just kills me.  Not only the sheer volume of books, but the beauty of it, too. Sigh...

Via DRB

Have a great weekend all...

Busy, busy...

Yesterday we went with Matthew, the landscape guy, to a local nursery to see what plants/trees we wanted for the grounds.  Saturday we are to drive north to the big city and go to a large nursery supply place, but Matthew wanted a glimmer of what I had in mind, so we went local first.

It was a glorious afternoon to be out looking at flowers and plants.  Got to 71* and was so warm and pleasant, it made wandering around the gardens totally enjoyable.  We bought a few things--because Matthew said his supplier up north didn't carry these particular specimens--then more or less nailed down the types of plantings I have been envisioning, at least for the most part.  

Here's what we got yesterday...

I love these:  Mexican Feather Grass.  I will plant these around some boulders, maybe with a fern or two for company.  Up close they are variegated, with gold and green and yellow all mixed together.

At the side of the house, near the back door, is a very shaded, quiet area.  These Hellebore will work just perfectly there...

I couldn't resist this beauty.  The fragrance, the twisty coil of the branches, and the perfect little white flowers just captivated me from the first moment.  This Osmanthus will grow about 6 feet tall, so the place where it's sitting in the photo is just about where it's new home will be when we're ready.  It will cover up the mine shaft area under the porch stairs...and smell heavenly when we're sitting out on the front deck.

Again, irresistible.  These Japonica usually come in white, but when I saw these delicate, Victorian looking, rose-colored ones, well, what can I say...I had to snatch them up.  The perfect mauve/rose color isn't coming across in the photo, but you can sort of get the tone.

Here's the whole group, including the new deep purple Lilac tree which will go in the backyard on the slope.  This is just the tiny beginnings of the ultimate finished garden, but I feel it's a good start.

Of course, I can't have any of the flowers from the Edinburgh cottage garden, though there will be some flowering shrubs, ferns, herbs and a variety of daylily that the deer supposedly won't eat.  It's really annoying that I have to build the new garden around the wildlife, but there you go.  Such is life in the wilderness.

Almost forgot.  I took these shots of the back last night, after we returned from the nursery.  This is the new landing as you step off the back deck.

Ozzy, sitting on the edge of the landing before going down the steps...

The piazza, steps and new enclosure wall.  The shadows make the stone on the piazza look a different color...they're not.  All the stones are the same color.

In this photo, I'm standing on the upper deck, looking down onto the piazza.  The part where the steps go down, and where it looks slightly dangerous if you fell off, will be where the BBQ or one of the whiskey barrel planters will go to minimize the break-your-neck aspect.

All things considered, when the plants and trees are in place, the back will look pretty good.  And how totally cool to be rid of the Path of Doom...

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Today we went over the planting diagram Matthew drew up, based on yesterday's field trip, and with any luck, the front will look very cool by this time next week.  More rhododendrons than I would have liked, though I understand the why and wherefore of having them:  color, concealment and deer-proofing.  To me, they require a lot of maintenance, like roses, but if they serve their purpose, I guess it's okay that I'll have to pinch a million sticky deadheads after the growing season.

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I'll be off the grid tomorrow for the jury duty crap, and again on Saturday as we head to the big city for the landscape stuff, so have a great weekend everyone.  I can only hope you'll have a much better Friday than I anticipate having.  Buggers...

Dirt

Yes, dirt.  Piles and mounds and hills of dirt.  The top soil is going in today on the front yard, which is exciting and encouraging, and already is making things look better.

The truck driver moves the rig by remote control, which is interesting.  In this picture, he's just making sure all is ready for the dirt to be blown into the yard.

Now he's standing in the road, remotely spraying the soil and moving the truck along as Matthew watches the flow.  It's very good soil--really rich and loamy--and should be great for all the new plantings and trees.  Though, I've gotta say, it's pretty strange to see this huge dump truck move along with no one in the driver's seat.  Right now it's reversing up the road, seemingly by itself, no one in the cab, though the steering wheel is moving...

It's great to finally be heading toward the planting stage.  We're starting to think of what trees and shrubs to put in, plus I want to make a trek to this place Matthew has mentioned that has really cool boulders; there are a few places around the front that I want more rugged and natural.

Today it's in the high 60s, warm and totally pleasant tee shirt weather (I know...how amazing is that..??).  And look..!!!  The Birch trees in the front are getting their leaves.  I can't believe it.  The trees have sprouted almost overnight.  Truly, Spring is here...at least in southern Oregon. 

 

The landscape guys are still working to finish the backyard, too.  Later today I will take some photos of the ex-Path of Doom, and the new piazza.  I was very cranky when they jackhammered my planting/privacy area, though it has given me a larger area for my little piazza/niche space.  I'll just have to do containers, I guess, instead of ground planting.

Speaking of containers.  We got two whiskey half-barrels over the weekend--at a very good price I might add--and because there's no place to put them outside just yet, we stored them in the garage.  OMG.  I could have gotten falling-down drunk on the fumes the next morning when I walked into the garage...!!  Wow.  Talk about a contact high...whew..!!  The fumes have mostly dissipated now, over these past few days--with the garage doors wide open--and I can only hope that whatever was stored in these barrels will help my plants grow.  Either that, or it will make alcoholics of the deer when they eat them.