Last week, Ellen from Stuff From Ellen's Head emailed me that she had sent me a few plants. We have traded plants back and forth before. We have very similar growing conditions and so what works well for her in Texas seems to do well here, too.
Anyway, when Ellen wrote to tell me she'd sent them, she said they should be delivered by Saturday. That would have been last Saturday. Guess what?
They arrived in Lloyd today.
Oh well. They look to be in fine health and the dirt Ellen had the roots packed in was still very damp so I think they'll be fine. I've got them all in pots and I am going to watch them very, very carefully. Poor things, living in the dark all that time.
It was a tiny bit cooler today and for awhile it was overcast so I was finally able to get some garden weeding done. It was still hot but an overcast 90 degrees beats a sun-beating-down-full-strength 97 degrees any day of the week. So I got the area that was truly disturbing me weeded out and mulched and I worked in another area for awhile too, and then mulched that. Such a very good feeling to get that done!
The zinnias are in full glory.
I'm not even sure there is a name for a color that intense.
I like this orange one that on first glance seems very simple and yet, if you look closer, the center of it is so intricate. Never really thought that garnet, gold, and orange would go together so beautifully.
Plain white. Not to be dismissed. I think it's pretending to be a daisy. Clever little zinnia.
I got a text from Mr. Moon a few minutes ago asking, "Can I come home now?"
"I guess so," I replied.
Then I turned to Maurice who was laying beside the MacBook. "Hey Maurice!" and she gave me a little acknowledging mewt.
"I guess so," I replied.
Then I turned to Maurice who was laying beside the MacBook. "Hey Maurice!" and she gave me a little acknowledging mewt.
"Do you think we should let Daddy come home?"
She didn't say a word, just seemed to ponder the question but I have to say her tail was flicking in such a way that I would not have tried to pet her at that moment.
She didn't say a word, just seemed to ponder the question but I have to say her tail was flicking in such a way that I would not have tried to pet her at that moment.
*****************
And now he's home and all is well. We're getting another nice little shower and the air has that delicious funky dirt and sharp ozone smell. I'm going to cook us some grouper he caught last month along with some tomatoes and okra from the garden. Another Florida meal for sure. He ate chicken and rice soup for supper the last three nights and he's probably ready for something different although he swears he'd eat it for a week and not get tired of it. He's probably telling me the truth. He is not a fussy eater.
Working in the garden today, even for a fairly short time, really did give me even more of what I needed. It offers so much more than just food. It gives me a sense of purpose, of accomplishment, along with the sheer pleasure in creating a tidy, verdant space. I find that I have more energy these days and less inflammatory pain as well, which is yet another benefit of taking a GLP-1 for some people. I feel so lucky to be able to take this medication and to have such an easy, side effect-free time of it. I don't want to jinx anything so I'll stop there.
Love...Ms. Moon
Your description of working in the yard/garden was spot on! Our day was chilly (60’s) and rainy and i really wanted to get out there.
ReplyDeleteI would have too!
DeleteI am verklempt. The 'giant zinnia' seed I saved from my plants last fall did not germinate this spring, and the only greenhouse (out of the four I visited) that had them was sold out. I'll have to live without them this summer. Next year I'll phone ahead and have some set aside for me.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! Just buy some from wherever you get your seeds. Or wait- were you trying to buy the plants? Anyway, zinnias grow so well and fast, usually, that seeds are a much cheaper way to go.
Deleteno, there cannot possibly be a name to describe the color of that neon fuschia colored zinnia. Wow! Glad Mr Moon home (for the time being) LOL
ReplyDeleteSusan M
"Neon fuscia." Yes! That may be it.
DeleteGood going on accomplishing garden work...before rain. We had a gully washer here, with tiny hail too. Then I took a nap, and haven't checked to see how cool it probably feels (and humid of course.) Lots of thunder and I was just so tired I let everything take care of itself for a while.
ReplyDeleteFunny how things somehow seem to manage taking care of themselves without us. At least some times.
DeleteYour zinnias are beautiful, and the colors are like plush velvet.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I also enjoy working in the garden. Seeing the results of anything done in the garden is very, very satisfying.
Your fresh fish dinner sounds delicious.
Today has been cool (63 degrees F) in Massachusetts with occasional light rain. A great relief after 90+ degrees F yesterday.
63 degrees must feel like heaven.
DeleteOur supper was delicious.
There's a specific bacteria in soil, Mycobacterium vaccae , that stimulates our body to produce more serotonin. I like being out in the fresh air myself, but dirt helps even more.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a good day and your man is home. I hung my sheets on the line to dry this morning and I thought of you:)
My clothesline needs repair! I need to remind the man about that.
DeleteI've heard about that bacteria. I will take all the serotonin I can get!
Your zinnias are weeks ahead of mine. I usually enjoy your pictures ages before I get any here. I think they love your climate, because grown around here they're smaller and the colors less intense. But they're all nice.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're feeling much better these days.
I'm pretty sure the zinnias love heat and lots of sun. They certainly do respond to it.
DeleteYour zinnias are as beautiful as your friendships. I find that being outside is never a bad place to be. If it was 97 degrees/full sun, I'd not be ok either. I love that you and Ellen exchange plants. What a great way to be connected.-Nicol
ReplyDeleteNope. Being outside if the best IF the weather isn't out to kill you.
DeletePlant exchanging is a living connection, isn't it?
I think so. -Nicol :)
DeleteI love thinking of you tending to your garden, hands in the dirt, the earth grounding you. Sounds like a good day. Beautiful zinnias.
ReplyDeleteIt was a good day.
DeleteThe purple zinnia is amazing!! The orange one looks just like the one solitary zinnia that I managed to grow for the first time ever. and the last time.
ReplyDeleteYou should try again! Perhaps you could get a purple one too!
DeleteThose zinnias are stunning and there’s nothing plain about that white. Glad you let Glen come home.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I let him come home too. He's pretty nice to have around.
DeleteI can think of many reasons to avoid weeding but then I don't have big gardens like you. As long as a plant looks green, I can ignore it pretty much.
ReplyDeleteThe sweet bunnies have been nibbling my dahlias to bits! I tried sprinkling some cayenne pepper around but watering every day just washes it off...
How do you keep the critters away from your pretty zinnias?
If you ignore the weeds in this area of the world, you'll have trees growing in your garden that you did not plant. I swear to you.
DeleteFor some reason the bunnies don't bother my garden. The chickens used to love to get in and eat and often figured it out, despite the gate and fence (they can fly) but for the most part, the only thing that bothers my plants in the way of critters is the bugs.
The mosquitos here are so horrid after all the rain we've been getting that working outside is nearly impossible unless I'm drenched in deet. They were just starting to abate a bit when we got another 2 1/2" this week. My zinnias are blooming prettily as well. some of them are as tall as me.
ReplyDeleteAs tall as you! Wow! Either you're a lot shorter than I thought you were or those are some very tall zinnias.
DeleteFor some bizarre reason the mosquitoes haven't started driving us crazy yet. I know it will happen any day now.
I don’t last more than 20 minutes outside in this heat. It’s a never ending task. So happy the glp1 is working! Yay for lower inflammation!
ReplyDeleteXoxo
Barbara
It seems to me that there are very few things that we do that do not need redoing without a day, a week, a month, or a year.
DeleteOh my gosh. I dug 3 holes today in 85° and 90% humidity. I thought I was going to die. Honestly, I don't think that I could do Florida. More power to you, sistah! But, I did come get out of an airconditioned car, and walk 1.93 miles. I thought I was going to die. Spoiler: I did not die.
ReplyDelete90% humidity is too high. We rarely get quite that high. It does make life unbearable, doesn't it? You should be proud of yourself for walking two miles in that weather.
Delete