Monday, July 15, 2013

Happy Birthday to Me and the Garden, 2013

Time for my annual self love festival. It's always amazing to see how the garden looks from year to year on the same date, and to do it here on the blog for easy reference (here's a 16 month daily timelapse vid). The 1,500' garden started in July 2007, and looked decent in 2009, then came into its own in 2010. Since then, each year plants shift, fade away, reseed and come back. Natives crowd out non natives, because in the early days I did not know what I was doing (fyi, come get my iris next month please). So, let's go on a tour in pics, then at the end I'll have a link to a video tour.








Purple prairie clover is busy this year


Liatris are pretty neat pre bloom, too




Mourning dove momma and youngin' in grape arbor





And a short video tour:



If you're in or near Omaha tonight, 7/15, I'll be speaking at the monthly meeting of the Plattsmouth Garden Club at the First United Methodist Church on Main Street in Plattsmouth. 6:30pm. I'll have books for sale. Bring cake.

My wife and I will also be at the Old Cheney Farmer's Market in Lincoln on Sunday 7/21 with, hopefully, butterflies and caterpillars, info on native plants, native plant examples, pictures, other fun stuff for kids (and maybe adults who act like kids). Look for the Monarch Gardens tent.

And might I direct your attention to the photography gallery slideshow on the right? You can purchase my photos (better ones than the above) and print them lots of cool ways.

Otherwise, birthday wish list remains much the same:
1) 50-100 acres somewhere on the eastern Plains, complete with a passive 100% off the grid home, two artist residencies, shed for speaking / teaching / events / education, small native plant nursery.
2) Book deal for any of my memoirs, Morning Glory or Turkey Red, or maybe something rant-ish on native plants.
3) A job this fall. Preferably teaching.
4) More speaking gigs. More garden consults. 




6 comments:

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I enjoyed the photos and the video. I love your garden!

Have a great birthday!

Helen said...

Happy birthday, Benjamin. Hope you get your wish list, in all the essential points. Your garden looks bountiful and beautiful.

Gaia Gardener: said...

Happy birthday - to both you and your garden! It is looking spectacular. Thanks for sharing it with us.

danthebutterflyman said...

Hope you had a great birthday, Ben,and a good group at your talk. Will try to get to the Farmers Market on Sunday to meet and greet!

ryan said...

The garden looks great. and the birdsong on the video adds a lot.

Donna@Gardens Eye View said...

Happy Birthday and I hope you get at least one of your wishes!