I photographed this Monarch on October 18 in my garden. We thought this was the last sighting of a Monarch for the season.
The Last Of The Monarchs
Tag: bruce’s garden
Hello. It’s Me.
Monday Evening
Thursday In My Garden
This Past Weekend
Tomatoes Are Blooming
We have had rain every day during the month of July. Little sunlight, but today I noticed that my tomatoes are blooming.
Oh Banana!
There is always something to learn. Right?
Recently I read “banana peels are good for gardens because they contain 42 percent potassium (abbreviated to its scientific name K), one of the three major components of fertilizer along with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and shown on fertilizer labels as NPK. In fact, banana peels have the highest organic sources of potassium.”
I have been gardening for years and never knew this till, well, now.
So, an experiment.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac:
“Homemade fertilizer teas, like “banana peel tea,” are all the rage right now because green-thumb gardeners know that these organic liquid fertilizers are the best way to get nutrients to your plants. While dry, granular fertilizers are a common way to add nutrients to your soil, liquid versions administer nutrients quickly, ensuring your plants get what they need to grow faster, have increased yields, and improved overall health.
“Banana peels are loaded with nutrients, such as potassium, phosphorus, and calcium, and when used as a fertilizer, help improve overall plant strength, stronger stems, stronger root development, and more robust fruits. While you can toss your banana peels directly into your garden (like in trench composting), making banana peel tea is a much more effective method of delivering those needed nutrients to your plants.
“To Make: Keep a pitcher of water in your refrigerator about ¾ full. As you eat bananas, place your discarded peels in the pitcher until it’s full. After about a week, strain out the liquid and reserve for your tea. (As you can see above I simply used one banana peel in one of our beloved Mason Jars–Susan just loves anything to do with Mason Jars!)
“To Apply: Dilute this concentrated liquid solution 5:1 (five parts water to one part tea) and apply to the base of your garden plants—this mixture is good for potassium-loving plants such as tomatoes and peppers. Note that this tea does not contain nitrogen, so it is not a complete fertilizer.
“Bonus: Adding this liquid fertilizer to your garden is also great for deterring aphids, as they detest the smell of bananas!”
So, my friends, stay tuned.
I will be fertilizing my tomato plants with my banana peel tea tomorrow. Say a little prayer for me–and my tomato plants!
Rhododendron
Black and White and in Color
Getting My Garden Ready
Here in Western Massachusetts, we are told by those in the know (How they know, I do not know.) to wait until Memorial Day to plant your garden. I rototilled my garden on Monday, May 17th and planted it on Wednesday, May 19th. I guess I have always been a rule-breaker.
The garden late last summer:
Spirit Life
"A beautiful bouquet, Bruce," Susan said.
"Some of the flowers are dying.
"I'm going to pick them off.
"And you can photograph them."
And I did
And we dumped them in the compost pile.
Beautiful there, too.
Other flowers and coffee filters
(I hope the filters are recyclable!).
Later in the morning I tied up the clematis plants
And filled the hummingbird feeder.
Now we wait.
Birdwatching is similar to gardening.
Patience. Patience.
"Bruce," Susan called to me.
"When are you going
"To start
"Pulling up the roots
"In your garden?"
Soon, I thought. It is
Back-breaking work.
Last week I rototilled the garden.
"Eyes to future," Susan said.
"You make everything beautiful, Bruce.
"Could you do me a favor, please?
"I emptied the corks out of the vase
"Holding the petunias.
"They were dying.
"Could you set the corks aside?
"For me?"
And for ten, maybe twenty, minutes
I sat and stared at the garden
While Freddy eat his bone.
I saw the garden
As it soon will be.
adventurers and explorers
Susan and I were watching Rick Steves “France’s Loire: Valley of a Thousand Chateaux.”
It was a fascinating show illustrating both the beauty and opulence of the castles. Some of the castles facts are staggering:
- The biggest château in the region, Chambord, is huge — six times the size of your average Loire palace, more like a city than a château. It’s surrounded by Europe’s largest enclosed forest park, a lush game preserve teeming with wild deer and boar. It began as a simple hunting lodge for bored blue bloods. But starting in 1518, François I — with the help of 1,800 workmen over 15 years — made a few modest additions to create his “weekend retreat.”
- Only 80 of Chambord’s 440 high-ceilinged rooms are open to the public — and that’s plenty. To see what happens when you put 365 fireplaces in your house, climb up to the rooftop and wander through a forest of chimney spires.
- When the Revolution hit, in 1789, many palaces were trashed — some were even burned to the ground. But many survived. Some were lucky. Some had fast-talking owners with friends in high places. And others, like Cheverny, had a reputation for being good to their workers. And back then, a big part of château life included hunting — and still does. The marquis hunts twice a week in season. Feeding time for his hounds is 5:00 daily. The hounds — half English foxhound and half French Poitou — get worked up knowing red meat is on the way. The master moves them out, and spreads out the feast. The excitement is palpable. The trainer, who knows each of the 70 dogs by name, opens the gate and maintains discipline as the dogs gather at the concrete table. It’s an exercise in canine control. Finally, he gives the signal…and its chow time.
Susan asked me if I ever thought of living during another time as we watched the show. And I answered “I don’t think I have ever dreamed about living during another time. I am happy here and now.”
“But what about doing something in another time, Bruce?”
“Oh,” I said. “I think I would have enjoyed being an explorer, an adventurer. Margo Polo. Magellan. Francis Drake. Daniel Boone. Lewis and Clarke. Howard Carter. Jacque Cousteau. And if I was a woman: Isabella Bird, Sacagawea, Amelia Earhart, Nellie Bly, Beryl Markham. To name just a few, Susan.”
As I thought about adventure and exploration, I came to the conclusion:
“I am an explorer. I am an adventurer.”
On every hike I am always on an adventure. Here at Mt, Evans outside of Denver, Colorado:
When I work in my garden, I am always an explorer. Here, look at the beautiful black swallowtail butterfly I found in my garden:
If you listen you can hear the hummingbird’s wings as it hovers over a zinnia in my garden:
Look at the spider web I found in the park down the street from where we live:
Helen Keller said: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
I choose adventure!
October 28
Light rain falls all day.
Birds feed all day.
Leaves reflect zinnias.
Bruce Barone 