Gardening

 We are experiencing a heat wave here in New Hampshire. We have no AC in this old house so we have to be judicious in how we keep the heat out.  Windows are closed during the day and shades are drawn to keep the hot sunlight out.  We open up in the evening and pull the cooler air in with fans.

Gardening in the heat is no fun so this morning I woke after 5 am and was out in the garden by 6 am. I needed to do three things: weed, edge and mulch. Got all those done by 8 am. No photos taken but here is what's blooming now (photos taken yesterday).

I potted this fern which was growing next to the foundation and it's thriving.

This bed is one I weeded and mulched.  This is a before photo.

This bed was weeded, edged and mulched today.  I don't know what the leaf spikes are.  Must wait for blooms.

This flowering shrub or tree is in a mass of bushes that are awaiting the tree/landscape company.  Another contractor that we have a signed contract with but who refuses to respond to voicemail or email to let us know where we are in their queue.  They told us in April they would be here when the hemlocks budded out.  That has happened almost a month ago now.

Anyone recognize the bush?

Another unknown tree?

There is a rose bush among these two kinds of fern.  Not excited about having these here.

A view of the field behind us.  It was hayed last week and yesterday the hay was bailed and hauled out.

Ferns and More

We took a family hike on Memorial Day.  It was a cloudy damp day but temperatures were cool so we didn't get over heated climbing to this overlook.

 

Here are daughter and son in law from Buffalo.  Granddaughter #3 not pictured.

I took lots of fern photos and some interesting rock formations too.

We saw evidence of a pileated woodpecker making a nesting cavity - lots of wood scraps on the forest floor.  Above was the cavity.

Here's another on but older.

Tiny ferns growing on rocks.

Above and below some fern group just with vivid color selected for photo below.

Ferns are up through out my yard too.  More on that to come.

It was a good week of family time.

Company Coming ...

... today, Sunday.  Our first overnight guests since we moved here.

Youngest daughter, son in law and granddaughter #3 are driving from Buffalo today and will be here for a week.  They will have to work some of the time so I'll have almost 4 year old granddaughter to play with. Granddaughters #1 and #2 are excited about seeing their cousin too.

We will celebrate a birthday for daughter Emily while they're here!

So commenting on your blog will not be high on my priority for the next week.

Here are some funnies for the week.

Enjoying the View

 

The three red Xs on the deck are marking boards to be replaced. This deck is enormous. 24' x 24'.  More square footage than some of the studio apartments at the retirement community in Columbia, MD where we used to live.  (We had a 2 bedroom but it was only twice the size of this deck.) The only furniture we have so far are two Adirondack chairs (Christmas gift) and two lounge chairs that were left in barn. There's also the bench that you can see. No grill, no table and chairs, no umbrella - all on list to get once barn is done.  We need a place to put the stuff come winter!  We also need the deck repaired and in July when house is painted, the deck will be pressure washed and stained.

In the meantime, come sit awhile and enjoy the view!