This picture was taken during our September trip to Italy's beautiful Amalfi coast. Previous entries about the trip are here, here and here too. There are a couple of Pictures of the Day: there and there.
Copyright 2010 TatyanaS
U.S.A., Washington State. USDA zone 8b. Sunset climate zone 5
Gazebo Speaking
Hi! It’s me, Tatyana’s gazebo. She took a picture of me this morning, and I didn’t like how I look.
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I look like a wet chicken. Why did she want people to see me like this? Why doesn’t she think that I might be as image-conscious as she is? I don’t want you to have the wrong impression of me so I decided to show you how pretty I can be.
I think I am a good looking gazebo. If not, why would she fall in love with me the moment she saw me in the store? She loved me even more when she saw my price tag! I was so affordable that her husband needed to talk to the manager to find out when they will get more of me. People were grabbing me like garden gloves!
I am also light. So light, they were able to assemble and install me themselves. Look at this picture.
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I look like a wet chicken. Why did she want people to see me like this? Why doesn’t she think that I might be as image-conscious as she is? I don’t want you to have the wrong impression of me so I decided to show you how pretty I can be.
I think I am a good looking gazebo. If not, why would she fall in love with me the moment she saw me in the store? She loved me even more when she saw my price tag! I was so affordable that her husband needed to talk to the manager to find out when they will get more of me. People were grabbing me like garden gloves!
I am also light. So light, they were able to assemble and install me themselves. Look at this picture.
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They didn’t prop me up yet, and she ran to her vegetable garden to take this picture. I like those tall dark columbines. Why did she yank them? Ah, they started to spread and take up too much space. What a pity! Back to me. I look good close and from afar. I should give them credit for they put me in the right place. That wall was bare without me.
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I love the pictures with dates printed on them. Don’t you? She removed that feature from her camera later, and it happens now that she can’t tell when a picture was taken. Looks are everything!
For some time, I looked naked, although she was fast to plant several grapevines around me. You could see through me and admire blooming clematis montana in the spring.
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For some time, I looked naked, although she was fast to plant several grapevines around me. You could see through me and admire blooming clematis montana in the spring.
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Grapes grew fast. Do you see a yucca to the right from me?
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It was there before me and it’s getting bigger and bigger. Do you think it needs to be moved? Let it stay?
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Things like to grow near me. They know I serve as a great background. Look at these foxgloves. They grow in front of me and even inside of me!
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Many of you might remember this picture below, but did you notice me back there?
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Fuchsia Double Otto loves to grow nearby.
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Some plants can’t be close to me, so they try to be on pictures with me, like these poppies and alliums:
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She likes to use me as a place to watch her garden.
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Hmm, didn’t she say that orange and yellow weren’t her favorite colors? But look at that nasturtium! She planted it as a companion plant for her vegetables, but it spread and found its way to her purple and pink flowers.
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I know what she will say when she looks at this picture below: ”Damn, I forgot to dig out the dahlias again! They will either be frozen if the winter is cold or rotten if it’s wet”.
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See the bamboo bean tower between my bars in the next picture? This year, there were two towers, and there were plenty of beans. But you know what, the summer was so late, most of them never reached maturity. Its a good thing she has a big compost pile!
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So, what I want to say is I look good during all seasons, not only in summer. In spring, you can see curves of the grapevines and their buds opening to young leaves.
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In fall, those leaves drop on the ground creating a brown carpet.
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This fall, the snow came unusually early, before Thanksgiving when I was still covered by leaves.
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There is not enough sun here for grapes to ripen.
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But they look lovely. They are my earrings.
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Just look at those clusters! Do you think the birds will eat them? Do birds love sour berries?
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When real winter comes, I will still be beautiful:
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That’ all so far. Do you like me? Do you? Really? Thank you! You, gardeners, are such nice people. You know how important we, gazebos, are in the garden. Just try to take our pictures when we look our best, OK?
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Copyright 2010 TatyanaS
Isn’t It A Bit Early?
Winter shall come. We know that. It shall come after fall. It shall come when the trees are naked, leaves are on the ground, flowers are in dry bouquets or in a compost pile. We don’t remember a freeze and snow to happen before Thanksgiving. Leaves were still on many trees and vines, and flowers were still blooming. The first snow, November 21st, was very light and fluffy.
Nasturtium, Nicotiana and Begonia finally realized that their time has gone.
Foxglove’s secondary blooms haven’t opened all of their buds yet. It could have been the first foxglove blooming in December, but not now.
Then, heavier snow fell, and unusually low temperatures for November changed things drastically.
Isn’t Fatsia supposed to have shiny black berries after its blooms are finished?
Wasn’t I just recently bragging about its fabulous blooms here: Fabulous Fatsia Flowers
Don’t Hardy Fuchsias in my garden usually carry their blooms into December ?
I used to have pictures of calendula flowers under the snow, but not those of dahlia and mums.
The worst were the winds. They broke huge firs’ limbs, up to 10 feet in length, shook zillions of cones and dry needles onto the ground and turned the yard into a mess. But I don’t complain. How can I be angry with the winds? How can I blame the cold and snow? They are part of winter, and winter is part of life. I can be a bit unhappy with myself for bringing some plants into the garage too late . But, I will try not to worry.
I’d rather prepare flashlights and candles in case we lose power. We already had our first warning. Good thing that I remember how to make coffee when the coffeemaker is dead. You need to have gas, water, Ibrik and coffee, of course!
I wish you a warm, cozy and enjoyable Thanksgiving!
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Copyright 2010 TatyanaS
Hellebore Blooming in November
In the Pacific Northwest, Helleborus is considered a late-winter and early-spring flowering perennial. It’s only November, but my Hellebore (Helleborus niger) has already started blooming. Wonderful! When most of the perennials quit for the winter, any new flowers are welcome. They provide a smooth transition to a new season. Even during winter, when other plants are dormant, there will be flowers in my garden!
This plant proves to be true to its other name, ‘Christmas Rose’.
After checking the pictures, I realized that I was not the only one excited about new blooms. Look who is here!
Maybe, most of the slugs prepared for the cold season, but not this one. Fresh sweet juice of the young blossom – what a treat! Another version of The Beauty and the Beast?
Lesson learned: peek under your flowers skirts once in a while! Now, it looks better.
In January, the whole plant will be covered in blooms. Attractive big leaves will stay dark green through the winter but will be cut back to give room for new growth. My previous post about this plant and its pictures in January 2010 are here: January Buds and Blooms
Hellebore in January
I find Hellebores.org to be a good source of information about Helleborus. They have a beautiful gallery of H. flowers pictures.
Copyright 2010 TatyanaS
Fabulous Fatsia Flowers
This is one of my three Fatsia japonica (Japanese Aralia, Aralia sieboldii) plants.
You can see an emerging umbel in the right side of the above picture.
Here, it starts opening, showing creamy-white flowers.
Sometimes, they call Aralia glossy-leaved paper plant, false castor oil plant or fig-leaf palm .
The blooms remind me of snowflakes and dandelion heads at the same time.
The pictures were taken in October and November 2010.
I showed all three aralia plants in my garden here: Aralia Blooming.
Japanese Aralia is an evergreen spreading shrub growing 5-12 feet tall, with thick, sparsely branched stems. The dark green leaves are spirally-arranged, large, leathery, with 7-11 broad lobes, toothed. The flowers are small, creamy white, borne in branching, long-stalked compound umbels in autumn or early winter, followed by small black fruit. Zones 8-10.
Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained.
Location: sun or light, dappled shade with shelter from cold, drying winds. Variegated cultivars need partial shade.
Beautiful plant!
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Copyright 2010 TatyanaS
