the bark tree

Poppy baby

You might remember my exuberance over these oriental poppies when they bloomed last year, but this year the clumps have really grown large and we have lots of buds!

Brandon had me take this shot of he and August with one of the first blooms, though the baby was not so impressed.

The poppy remains my favorite flower.

 

Eleanor Perenyi dies at 91

One of my favorite garden books, Green Thoughts, A Writer in the Garden, was authored by Eleanor Perenyi, who died Sunday, May 3, 2009.

The New York TImes published yesterday the obituary of her fascinating life.

On the back of the dust jacket of the hard cover edition of her wonderful book is a great photo of her.  She sits in her garden holding a cigarette in one hand and what looks to be an alcoholic beverage in the other.  She certainly appears to possess all the opinionated sass that she expresses in the book.

Thank you to Michael Pollan who wrote about her in his great book, Second Nature, and alerted me to her presence in the world of garden literature.  And thanks to Gelene who sent me the link to her obit this morning.

Ms. Perenyi won't be forgotten.

Purty stuff

Narcissus 'Pheasant's Eye'
Brandon took a bunch of nice close ups of pretty things in our April garden.

Mini daffodils (Narcissus sp.)

 

Celadine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)

Spring Snowflake (Leucojum vernum)

Bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis)

 

Oak leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)

 

Comfry (Symphytum officinale)

Baby gardening steps

I put my new baby in a sling the other day and did the tiniest bit of gardening!

The weather has been quite dreary this whole month so I was really craving sunshine and a few moments out of the house.

At first I thought I'd just sit a while in the sun, but after a while I decided to try a task or two. I kept my goals simple — one job at a time.  I started with cutting back this old hydrangea.  The one that is always surpassed in beauty by my neighbor's nicer one on the other side of the fence.

I got it all done with baby Augie still sleeping happily.  Yes, it contributed to my debris problem, but what's new?

 

Next, I popped this pretty ranunculus into the ground near the front fence.  Brandon brought it to me from a trip to the farmers market.  That was about all I could accomplish, but I felt wonderful to spend time outside and tend to a few things.

Borrowed views

It's always nice to gain a lovely view from a neighbor. Ours next door have a couple of spring beauties which the whole neighborhood is enjoying.

Like this gorgeous Magnolia x 'Elizabeth', the first yellow magnolia, developed at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  We've been anxiously watching its buds emerging.

 

And this is the third or fourth year that these lovely tulips have bloomed for them (and us)!

 

Down the street is another classic magnolia which blooms a little before Elizabeth.  I sure do appreciate these early spring blooms.

Here is last year's post on the same topic.

August Weldon Kennedy

Our baby, born naturally March 31st, 2009 at 5:10 AM, weighing 9 lbs. 1 oz. and measuring 21 inches.