The late May air has become muggy prematurely. Dusk lingers, and by 8pm neither the candles nor the solar jars have been lit.
The terrace is getting going, in terms of growth. The climbing beans are heading straight up, and by late June will form their leafy screen. The black raspberry has set fruit (green right now). The two clumps of favas are looking fine. We have been eating the leaves once a week in a huge salad. The herbs (cilantro, parsley, thyme, oregano, mint, sage, self sown fennel, calamintha, agastache, nasturtium, and rose scented and lemon pelargonium) are all very happy. There are jewelweed volunteers all over - one can eat the young greens, but I also keep them as handy poison ivy antidotes and hummingbird attractors.
The long darkness of winter, the longing for the light, seems far behind us.
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You have created a little bit of heaven on earth!
ReplyDeleteYour deck/garden sounds wonderful and is inspiring. It's been muggy here in the northern Willamette Valley for the last few weeks too, but with the higher temperatures (mid-80s), the humidity has finally dropped. I'm trying to find more and more time to spend in our deck/garden and back garden. What a gorgeous meal this photograph shows! Greetings from the Pacific Northwest, Leslie
ReplyDeleteThe terrace is very inviting. It seems like a wonderful place to relax with a glass and wind down from the day. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHi! Bonjour!
ReplyDeleteI'm just wondering why you don't use any saucer under your pots? May be you have already explain that before... but I just find your blog and I must say that Ilove it. It is definitly a wonderful source of inspiration!
Have a good day!
Véronique
Thank you, Veronique!
DeleteSaucers - I never really consider them, with outdoor plants (unless in really dry region where you do not want to lose a drop). I dislike plants sitting in wet saucers as it can cause some root problems - they need perfect drainage. And the pots draining right to the deck and the space below does not really do the deck any harm - a saucer sitting on a deck will accumulate moisture, too, and have a larger footprint for damp.
Thank you for your answer! I'll keep that in mind... I do love all the tips you give on your blog that helps me improve my garden and the terraces...
DeleteMarie, I will be visiting New York early in July from South Africa and would love to do a roof top garden tour in Manhattan. Do you know of any tours or roof top gardens that we could visit, other than the Met Museum "The Roof Garden Commission: Pierre Huyghe"? I would also welcome any book titles on Manhattan roof top gardens.
ReplyDeleteHi Jill - you could try http://rooftopfarms.org/
DeleteAside from private gardens, I do not know of a public rooftop tour. Good question. Rockefeller is seldom open, unfortunately. Also try The Solaire's greenroofs in Battery Park - it would have to be by prior arrangement, and is a long shot, but worth a try.
So you have to wait until late June to have some privacy on your beautiful "island"? Or maybe the novelty has worn off and you are no longer under observation from your strange neighbors? I hope so.
ReplyDeleteOur neighbors have never been as interested in us - in a negative way - as we had imagined. But it is nice to have that leafy screen from summer till late fall.
DeleteThat is good, I am glad to hear (read) this. And yes, your leafy screen was so lovely last year. Here's to all your well-loved plants growing beautifully again this year!
DeleteThe Waldorf Astoria Hotel has a rooftop garden where they raise produce for the restaurant and keep bees. I don't know how one makes arrangements to visit it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your replies, I will check out both the Waldorf Astoria and The Solaire's, will look at the link now too....Marie, how about you starting roof top garden, by prior arrangement, tours!
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