It's hers because she wanted it--my dad, not so much. Last weekend we visited my folks in Minnesota and got to see their most recent landscaping project. So peaceful. So neat. My wife loved it.
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| Even has a fire pit |
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| Nicely angled steps |
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| Love how this dock angles / juts out into the water |
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| Lots of yarrow and red clover |
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| Purple Prairie Clover |
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| Almost got a good bee shot on this swamp milkweed |
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| A good thistle? |
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| Another good thistle? |
My parents have, I'm guessing, about 2 acres of seeded prairie. When I left, the rudbeckia were getting ready to bloom. Lots of milkweed, yarrow, clover, coneflowers, grasses....
So, I had to post something since it's been a while. Been swamped trying to self publish a book, having a 4 year wedding anniversary, dreaming about getting an Audi for my birthday on Friday, dreaming about having a teaching job and not being laid off from UNL. Pipe dreams do the soul good.
9 comments:
Wow, thanks for sharing! What a blessing that your parents passed on a love of plants to you and now you get to share it with them as an adult. Beautiful!
You have no idea, Jen. If I could get my memoir MORNING GLORY published, you'd know just how deep the garden thing goes between my mom and I. Have you read my samples under the "nonfiction" tab? For my mom, gardens have always been, it seems to me, a process of healing and regrounding (a process begun in an abusive childhood). I hated gardening as a kid, but like going along with my mom to nurseries. And now for me, the garden has become the same thing it was for my mom--an escape and recentering from intense emotions (I have a short temper and don't handle tons of stress swimmingly--heart on my sleeve).
I see I am not the only one with a gardening gene in his DNA.
Les--Ya gotta read my unpublished memoir Morning Glory to know the full extent of the genetics.
Hi Benjamin,
I'm sorry your contract wasn't extended. I had that happened my second year of teaching fourth grade at a Catholic school in order to be replaced by a nun who had wanted to go back to teaching after doing something else for a couple years. The principal (a nun) who did that ended up being pulled and taught for a number of years before getting to be a principal again. It turned out fine for me, but it didn't feel good when it happened. She had refused to tell me why, but one of my students blurted out what she had told his mom, that she wanted all nuns to teach. Two of the other teachers I worked with ended up quitting the same year.
My little wild senna is still green. I hope your new ventures work out for you.
Oh, and I love your mom's pond and land. Those thistles look good to me!
Happy anniversary, and have a great birthday!
Sue--I'm so happy to hear your senna is doing well! I love that plant. In two years, watch out. I wish I could have given away more plants.
The whole UNL thing is such a mess. They have a clear agenda (a post maybe coming on that later this summer, and about the demise of higher ed). I have never, ever left a job unwillingly. Most times, I'm asked to stay on but I can't. That's what really bugs me. Sure wish we could fire everyone in Washington, fix the economy, make america innovative and a leader again. Etc. (The gov't in Minnesota is shut down right now because dems and rep can't agree on silly stuff--and they are still getting paid!!!)
If you can, I'd sure appreciate your spreading the word about my garden coaching venture. So many folks asked me at the garden tour, so here I go.
My sister has a huge yard that I am envious of. The person before her had lots of coneflowers and other native plants, and a number of bird feeders. It's now a huge mass of weeds. Part of the reason my sister can't keep up is that my she has had problems with an infection and now plantar fasciitis (sp?) in her foot. She has hinted for me to come pull the weeds, but I have my own to contend with.
When I heard she was thinking of hiring someone to help with the yard, I suggested you to her, but she said she can design what she wants. It's the grunt work she needs help with. I'm sure she wouldn't be able to pay much for the weed pulling, so I didn't pursue it further.
Have you thought about putting something in the classified section of the newspaper? I think there is a section for landscape stuff.
I've been growing dalea in my garden for two years but its struggled so its good to see yours in bloom. I've finally figured out how to keep it happy. Wonderful pond!! I think I've passed my love of gardening on to my son although, at 19, he would never admit it. :o)
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