Midweek on the terrace

It amuses me that I come home from a day of drawing, thinking about, dreaming about, or standing in, digging in, or swearing at, gardens...and head straight out to my own little terrace and start, yes, gardening. With every appearance of pleasure.

This evening, after the obligatory post-New-York-day-and-subway-journey shower, I stepped out onto the gravel with a glass of dry white Noilly Prat vermouth, and started the little chores that I like so much. For once watering was unnecessary as we had a rainstorm in the early hours, and serious Weather is expected later. The storm radar glows promisingly red.

I cleared up some dead-headed Iceberg roses from yesterday. Cleaned the old lily petals and snipped their drooping stamens but left the still-small seed capsules at the base of their stamens. I am going to allow them to set seed. Maybe someone would like some. It will take a couple of years for a flower if they are grown from seed. Hm: 66squarefeet lilies? Cleaned some dead from the chives and pulled out a few of Estorbo's chewed grass plants growing in the Creeping Jenny. And pondered Lamiaceae. Ha! and have just satisfied myself, via Google. See examples below. After the vermouth and daylilies.



The fig is rallying. Dare I hope???

Back to the Lips: Lamiaceae, aka Labiatae...the Greek basil flower looks a lot like the...

...catnip flower, which looks a lot like the...

...plectranthus flower (and yes, you have seen this picture before). Eenteresteen', as the cat would say. All from the same family.

Below, the purple basil slowly turning not-purple, above Henry Street.
Greek basil, common thyme, tarragon, chives and basil. And the Long Island College Hospital in the background (sssshhhh: this is a trick to see if I can get Zippi, the Public Affairs guru at the hopital to leave a comment. I think Zippi Googles the LICH every day to see who's been saying what.....Zippi?)

And that's it. Life continues. Sweetly, relentlessly, coldly. Having a garden helps.