Monday, July 20, 2009

The telephone rings, It's the call of the wild

A brief departure from the usual topics of gardening and wildlife. Went to a concert the other night-- my all time favorite band, Mark Miller with the group Sawyer Brown. I've seen them perform dozens of time over the last 20-something years and always had a fantastic time. This was an outdoor concert and the lightening was difficult so regretfully, I didn't get any really good photos.


Betty’s out being bad tonight
Betty and her boyfriend had a big fight


Well I ain't first class
But I ain't white trash.
I'm wild and a little crazy too.
Some Girls don't like boys like me
Aww, but some girls do.

~~~~~~~~


Monica, at Garden Faerie's Musings, had a good idea when she originated her Mish-Mash Monday posts. That's what I have today, a collection of unrelated thoughts and photos.

First of all a view from my back yard. Everything is lush and vivid green. The rain and record breaking cool temperatures have affected our corn crops. Many farmers were a month late getting their corn planted. Driving to Monroe Center last week I noticed several large fields that never did get planted, some still have standing water. On the other hand, we are growing a world class crop of mosquitoes. I'm buying enough Off spray to keep our economy healthy;)


Erigeron or Fleabane hitchhiked in on a plant purchased at a plant sale. I know nothing about these--have never grown them, but there are some species plants in the fields around the farm. It seems like it would be a nice little filler plant if it doesn't surprise me by doing something completely obnoxious;) Anybody who has grown it, please let me know if I should leave it in the garden or rip it out. The airy little white blooms are kind of pretty, like a early blooming aster.



One of my hybrid tea roses, Heirloom. This rose is the prettiest lavender color and smells nice too. Like the corn, my roses got off to a late start this spring so their season was very sort. Thursday I'll post an explanation of why everblooming roses have a 'short season' here.




Along the drive this bed is seriously neglected. The Tall Bearded Iris, purple coneflower and Siberian Iris are overrunning it and needed to be divided and moved last spring. My number one priority this fall or next spring is to thin these beds and introduce a little more variety.



The lovely Tiffany, many people will tell you this is one of the very best roses for fragrance. It's an older hybrid tea like Heirloom. For me scent is important. Isn't it just natural to see a lovely bloom and bury your face, feeling the silken texture and inhaling that warm, sweet smell? By the way, all the rose photos you see on my blog were taken prior to July 1.



Exquisite Peace with it's wonderful story of war and peace. This rose is loved by most everyone, including me. The blending of pastel colors and the sweet fragrance make it a must have for rose lovers.



Will be back Thursday with another post. Meanwhile, I'll be visiting my blogging friends for updates on what's going on in your gardens;)

41 comments:

Darla said...

Your photos of the concert look geat! Your flowers look so pretty, even the serious neglected area has some appeal.

tina said...

I know this singer! I bet you had fun fun fun!

The garden looks great. Rain is good but it's a shame not all the corn got planted. I can just imagine burying my face in warm roses-a nice thought. Like the new header photo too.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I haven't been to a real concert in a l o n g time. It sounded like fun.

I too have a flower bed that needs major work. I hate to get out in the heat of the summer to work in/on it so it suffers until a good cool spell like now. I am gonna get out there and pull weeds at least...maybe. tee hee....Have a great week.

Anonymous said...

Ooh their one of my favorite groups too Marnie! You have some wonderful old roses in your garden. I love that deep pink color of Heirloom and who doesn't love a Peace Rose. I have 3 different ones in my own garden. :)

Unknown said...

I have seen Sawyer Brown 3-4 times, before kids I worked at a company that owned 13 radio stations. So I got lots of free tickets :) But two years ago hubbys company did a private concert with SB and it was great. Only about 500 people there, so we all had great seats.

Of course I love your roses. I too have heirloom and it's relative Intrigue, they are both stunning. Happy gardening!

Dog_geek said...

Love the Mish Mash Monday idea. I'm having a mish mash month, I think. Your flowers look great! I meant to get out and do some work in my beds this weekend... somehow it never happened!

Randy said...

I think the "neglected" bed looks perfect! I like the way it's all growing together.--Randy

marmee said...

i looked on youtube at sawyer brown...i love his deep voice. i am not a huge fan of country but two of my girls are...i will have to tell them. i am sure it was fun to be so up close and personal with a group you have followed for so long. what great summer fun.
i love, love, love the long shot of your field of corn. what a great place to live. our corn is growing but on a way smaller scale. i love fresh corn in the summer.
your flowers are blooming so beautifully and having so many colours for you. summer is the best.

Gail said...

I really enjoyed this post...The driveway bed looks lovely...I think that benign neglect is under appreciated! gail

Judy said...

I have not been listening to the radio or anything in a long time, but I still had the tune in my head for that song! Must check them out!!!
The roses all look lovely, but I am not really a rose fan, so don't grow them.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Thank you Darla.

Hi Tina, we did have fun at the concert. The rain and cold have been hard on the farmers but easy on us gardeners.

Hi Lisa, I'm not going to tackle transplanting until the fall or next spring. I don't know what I'll do with all those plants.

Hey Racquel, another Sawyer Brown fan. They are a fun group and seem like nice people.

Hi Brooke, yet another SB fan. What a great job with benefits;) My friend Linda has Intrigue, it is lovely.

Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi DogGeek, a mish-mash month about sums up mine too. I don't know how you get anything done with the summer heat in your area. I'd be parked in front of the air conditioner vents 24/7.

Randy, I never have bare ground. I like crowded and lush, I just don't like so much of one thing.

Judy, I can't grow many roses because of the Japanese beetles and sometimes the need for sprays--which I don't do. Some do very well on their own without chemicals and I do grow them.

Marmee, a Tennessee girl who doesn't like country;) I"m glad we can all choose our own music. I'd be sad if I had to listen to Jazz or Dixieland;) Corn is the life's blood of Illinois and nobody is happy if the corn isn't happy;)

Hi Gail, we are kindred spirits;) I would happily continue with the benign neglect except the iris and the coneflowers are swallowing everything in their paths. I will be limited to growing three plants. Maybe that wouldn't be too bad. No weeds can grow in those iris.

Marnie

Cheryl said...

Hi Marnie....our fleabane is a yellow flower....I grow it in my garden because I like it. Ours is quite invasive......but of course, that does not mean that yours is.

The lavender rose is lovely...one of my favourite colours.
You are so right, we do all love 'peace'....my father used to have a small garden full of them. The perfume was lovely.

Have a happy week......

Pat said...

Looks like you had a great time !
The view from your back yard is heavenly...now that's relaxing !

Pretty,pretty roses...someday I may become more adventurous with my plant choices.

When you get a chance could you give me your zone? Thanks.

F Cameron said...

Marnie,

Summer fun! Concerts and fields of crops!

Your roses are beautiful and I like your driveway bed, too.

Cameron

Balisha said...

I have some fleabane that has crept into my way back garden. It does fill in and doesn't invade too much for me anyway.

Unknown said...

I have always liked sawyer brown. since i was a kid. (27 now)

great pics.

Sherri said...

What beautiful roses!

Susie said...

Marnie the first time I ever saw Sawyer Brown was in a bar in TX. As a matter of fact they were called Savannah then. That's how long it has been. They were lots of fun as I'm sure they still are.

BeadedTail said...

Great photos of the concert! Looks like a really fun time! I like the view from your backyard although sorry about all the mosquitos. Boy I hate those suckers (pun intended!).

Chloe m said...

Marnie,
Sounds like you had fun! I am going to look these guys up on Youtube ASAP!
I have Fleabane too, wondered what to do with it also.
Your roses, as ALWAYS, are lovely.
Rosey

Cordwood Cabin said...

I love your Heirloom tea rose pic (and the Sawyer Brown concert photos, too -- always fun musicians to see perform!)

joey said...

Indeed everything looks lush and lovely, Marnie. I had to resort to dragging out the hose today since the sprinkler misses much with the tall daylilies blocking the flow. All in all, we've been blessed by the rain and (gulp) cool temps ... a strange summer!

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Cheryl, thanks for the tip. I'll bet the yellow is pretty. This fleabane is probably going to seed around a lot but, judging from the wild kind, it is pretty easy to pull up when it grows out of bounds.

Hey Patsi, I used to be adventurous. Now I concentrate on plants that don't require supplemental watering. Technically I'm in zone 4 but just by a matter of a couple miles.

Hi Cameron, thank you.

Balisha, thanks for the tip. I will probably let this one grow here. It won't be hard to pull up seedlings if they get too numerous.

Marnie

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Flowrgirl, I've liked them since you were a kid too;) Fun band.

Hi Susie, I don't remember that far back. I first saw them 20-something years ago. Very high energy back then. Lately they've toned it back some but doen't we all as we get older?

LOL BeadedTail, you got that right. The mosquitoes do there best to spoil everybody's summer.

Hi Rosey, I'm going to experiment with the fleabane--cut it back by about half in June and see if I can't get bushier plants.

Hi Cordwood, Heirloom is a lovely color isn't it?

Hi Joey, everybody is complaining about the cold and rain but I love it. Temps in the 60's and 70's, no watering here except the tomatoes and the newest plants added this summer.

Marnie

Rose said...

I've heard of Sawyer Brown but not familiar with their music...but this concert looks like lots of fun. I've been to a few outdoor concerts like these, and they are so fun, especially when the band is a favorite.

I finally identified a "weed" growing all over our farm--it's fleabane! You know, I like their little flowers, too, Marnie, and if you don't mind having them all over the place, they should be fine.

Your photo of the fields behind you look much like my home, except our corn is taller than I've ever seen it. Our farmers were late in planting, but probably not as late as yours.

A Wild Thing said...

Your view is simply stunning, like it's right out my own back door...and here to the rains have effected the fields. My tomatoes are in terrible shape because of all the rains and cold weather, they have wilt and are not recovering, 'cept for my cherry tomatoes. This is the first year ever, living in Iowa that I don't have my own sweet tomatoes to can...bummer, but lots of fried green tomatoes...mmmmm...

However my flowers have grown to unbelievable heights...guess it's a trade-off.

Stay warm!
sharon

walk2write said...

Seems like fleabane would be an excellent plant to have on hand for the outside pets. I wonder if it really works, banishing the fleas? I had to reach back into the memory cupboard and rummage around a bit to recall SB. It's always fun to see how the old groups are faring these days. Your back yard view is spectacular, Marnie! I enjoyed the mish-mash post.

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Hi Marnie, what a great view out your backyard! And it's fun going to a concert, too. Love all your blooms.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Rose, this time of year there is an outdoor concert every weekend. County Fairs, Founder's and Settler's celebrations, River Front, Summer Fest and on and on. You can see all your favorite singers up close and personal. The field corn is usually over my head by mid July.

Hi Sharon, I hate to hear that about your tomatoes. When they wilt this early, they usually don't come back. My flowers are doing great too. I'm glad I picked this year to add perennials to my new bed.

Walk2Write, I don't know if fleabane inhibits fleas. Interesting.

Hi Monica, sometimes I love the view and sometimes I get tired of the endless corn. I've let a pretty serious hedgerow grow around the house so I don't have to look at corn 24/7, especially in August when it turns brown and in winter when it's depressing.

Marnie

Kathleen said...

Fun concert Marnie! I haven't been to a concert in forever either but maybe it's time to change that! I hear you on the world class crop of mosquitoes ~ we're doing that in Colorado too having much the same weather as you. It's too bad because I can hardly enjoy the garden they are so thick. I hate the spray too so I've been trying some all natural stuff but I don't think it works as well??? (at least the brand I bought) Your roses are beautiful.

troutbirder said...

We have lots of fleabane growing wild just about everywhere. It's so delicate. I take it to be a native wildflower?

beckie said...

Marnie, the concert sounds like it was great fun. I thought the photos turned out good. Ahhhh, your roses are lovely and you are so right about wantig to be up close and personal with them. :)

sweetbay said...

Beautiful picture of the fields. I love your driveway bed too.

I will have to admire your Hybrid Teas, as they hate it here! I would love to try Peace.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Kathleen, the mosquitoes are the worst thing about the summer. Even the heat I can tolerate, but the mosquitoes ruin it.

Troutbirder, I believe they are native. Some areas have color variations but I've never seen anything but white here. There are cultivars in various shades available for sale. Lots of small bees and other insects like the blooms.

Hi Beckie, roses don't seem to me like a flower that is best admired from a distance;)

SweetBay, I'm surprised how many of the hybrid teas have done well on a no spray program. If they don't do well, they must be replaced with another type of plant.

Marnie

oldcrow61 said...

Great pictures of the Band you went to see. Most of my roses have a strong perfume and I agree, there's nothing like it. That Peace Rose is just lovely.

TC said...

Ms. Marnie, have they hybridized an aromatic Knock Out yet? When they do, I think I'll pick up several. Roses grown here are mostly all aromatic, ones my wife put in many years ago. Including my all-time top of the list for aroma - 'Gertrude Jekyll.'

Gail said...

Marnie, One of the nicotianas is sort of staked..I had a short piece of bamboo that I stuck in the container when a chipmunk dug out the plant...I do occasionally turn the pots so that the sun encourages it to stand up tall! The fragrance is fantastic. gail

Jann said...

I've never seen Sawyer Brown but certainly know his music. Love the photos, esp the peace rose, I used to own one in Oregon...maybe we'll get another one to replace the dud rosebush we have, haha. I keep hoping! Next year...

Kathleen said...

Hi (again) Marnie. I just wanted to let you know that I never stake nicotiana sylvestris. Even tho it gets quite tall, it's pretty carefree. I bet if you added it to a container or bed one year you would have it repeatedly too.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I'm glad you got some answers on the fleabane. I may have some space for some. If a plant that reseeds a lot stays pulled, then it's OK for me.

I should try sylvestris again. I've always loved it when I see it somewhere, but the year I grew it, it had a bad case of aphids.