Archive for August, 2014

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The Alarm of Summer’s End

August 25, 2014

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 I stood amongst the potted garden

delighted with summer’s hues and scents,

when overhead the sound of honking geese astonished me.

To my surprise, the alarm of summer’s end had arrived.

 

In the coming weeks, from time to time,

I will watch the crimson sunset with my love,

recall the season’s nights and days,

the work, the play, the rest,

then question which of these had we done the best

and which should we have done the least?

 

I will most likely sigh, the long slow sigh

that signals it is time to prepare my soul

for the passing of time,

the pulling back of dead blossoms and faded dreams,

the unfinished feats I pledged to self,

to others, and my love.

 

But I will ponder on these for a moment only,

then praise my love’s encouragement

for booming hues in tubs of clay,

where we will sit next year once again,

delighted in summer’s potted garden.

  © 2014 Dianne Marie Andre

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Summertime Potluck

August 17, 2014

This time of year, delicious fresh produce and good company are the highlight of summertime events. Potluck means a variety of seasonal dishes and fruits and vegetables.  For me, though, I savor the gardens over the food (not the company, of course), especially when the yard is as pretty as this one owned by Bill  Goff and his lovely wife, Noreen, who is a master gardener.

 

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Yarrow (Coronation Gold)

Yarrow (Coronation Gold)

Overlooking part of the vegetable garden

Overlooking part of the vegetable garden

unknown pink floribunda rose

Unknown pink floribunda rose

Iceberg rose (floribunda)

Iceberg rose (floribunda)

Coneflower

Coneflower

Coneflower

 

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It’s not a yellow submarine

August 11, 2014

. . . or a little yellow village. Nope, it’s yellow mushrooms in my flowerpot. And it’s not a good thing!

Contaminated mushroom spores are distributed during the soil packaging process and on employee clothes from farm to factory. The good news is that this type of mushroom, Houseplant Mushroom, feeds on dead organic material and won’t hurt healthy plants.

The bad news? These pretty little mushrooms are harmful to humans and pets if ingested. So remove them right away, during the small growth stage before they open and shed hundreds of spores. Of course, I didn’t do this because I was curious and I wanted photos to share. That’s the price of a crazy garden blogger.

 

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mushroom 2

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Scientific name of the Houseplant Mushroom is Leucocoprinus bimbaumii (originally Lepiota lutea).

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Harvesting Hardballs

August 6, 2014

Fruit Vegetable Gallery #3:

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Driving along a country road,

I spied a watermelon stand.

I pulled to the side

and watched the workers in the field

where hundreds of watermelons

lounged in one long row.

The field hands,

bent and bowed, hot and sweaty,

had picked the heaviest,

ripest watermelons

and lined them up at the edge of a dirt road.

One by one, they tossed the hardballs,

assembly line style, into an old yellow bus.

The workers sang a lively song,

I imagined to keep the rhythm going,

and their spirits lifted.

I exited my car, picked out a watermelon,

then paid the nice lady in the stand.

Smiling, I left with a mighty fine treat

and harvest music chanting in my ears.

© Dianne Marie Andre

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For Ten Facts You Never Knew About Watermelon, click http://www.thetowndish.com/2007/06/07/ten-facts-you-never-knew-about-watermelon/

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