The Whys, Wherefores, & What It's All About

Red Clover began last October after a very satisfying summer of my Stairwell Garden. Summer 2008 was truly my first test in picking flowers, killing flowers, planting bulbs that (gasp, I know, but tight budget) were purchased at the dollar store, and embarking on my own gardening journey, not just the garden/yard work that abounded as I grew up.  This was my own, and something in me needed it.  

In my Stairwell Garden, during a rain storm.

I had a blast.  I learned to love my Dahlia, to enjoy the scent of the Red Geranium that continually kept me company and made veiled remarks as I tried to repot the other flowers.  I watered too much, I watered too little.  But, hey, I watered.  With fall approaching my interest was growing, and so after holding out for a few years from the blogosphere I decided it was finally time.  Red Clover came into existence.   

My motto was simple, "To start something new, gain wisdom from experienced green thumbs, and gather insights for beginners...like me".

Then I posted what would be the purpose of my blog, and what kind of posts to expect.  

"Flowers & Plants

Herbs

Garden Tours (Which I will take and photograph in people's gardens... unsuspecting gardens)

Pots

Do You Know What This Plant Is?

Planting Seeds (Shout-outs for advice from fellow gardeners)

Vignettes - Garden Stories"

(I like those categories and have done a little with each, except herbs, I have pictures for that though!  I think I will keep those categories, though maybe rename a few, and them add a few more...I am trying to be more organized.)

So, I posted on October 8th.  I woke up the next morning, checked my blog, and there was a comment!  And it was from Bob!  A real life English Gardner who worked on an estate!  I was elated.  I must confess, Bob, that everyone who ran into me for that day and several following, heard that you had made a comment on my blog.  Smiles.   After that the whole garden world began to open up before me.  I was badgering my new found friends with questions (I still have a lot) and picking up my mom's "Better Homes and Gardens" magazine, my camera became a staple as I clicked pictures of what caught my attention, the amount of plants inside my house quadrupled, I moved to a sunnier place with more space, and I have never ached so fiercely for spring all my life.  It's finally here.  

Since I am beginning a new year there are things I would like to change.  For example,  I like how Dreadnought, or Bob, will answer questions at the bottom of his post...hmmm, still thinking about that.  Responding to comments has been something I've wanted to do, but I vacillate  between methods.   I fixed my USB ports, so more pictures are back on the docket! I want to try and use all original pictures to the extent I can, which means I've got to be out there on the hunt.  And I am going to try and post more regularly;)

  

Thanks for coming around these few months, and I hope to not only improve my gardening skills, but also my blog.  

Happy Spring Regards, 

Red Clover

 

The Other Day...

...She came home with me.  Isn't she a beauty?  

The Garden Book

I am creating a Red Clover Garden Book.  It's going to contain things.  About Gardens.  About my garden in particular.  I know, a bit narcissistic, but I'm afraid I can't make a book about Your garden.  I don't really know it.  

This is part of my new year experience.  I am going to have a spring planting section, one for early summer, and one for late summer.  Pansies will fit in two of those categories, but I don't know if I am going to let them in.  We'll see.   There will be comments about care, preferences of my favorite flowers and plants, as well as planning sessions, and pot decidings, and garden plans.  My landlord just told me I could use part of the flower beds that are by my front door.  My heart is elated.  Kip's heart is probably wondering how we are going to fill the pots, let along part of two flower beds.  Seeds, Kip Dear.  That's how.  I just bought some fiery coloured Nasturtium.  

Mr. Tuttle Goes On Tour: A Red Clover Birthday

Yesterday I was banned from the house by Kip, who had taken the day off work.  "Do not even drive by the apartment until I tell you."  I followed instructions.  After work and a few errands I cat napped on my parent's sun spilled couch until he called and said the coast was clear, I could come home. 

 

The first thing that greeted me when I walked into the door was a bouquet of six bright balloons what were anchored to a safari/garden hat, filled with blue confetti and a scrolled piece of paper.  Kip was in the kitchen making dinner.  He told me to go ahead and open it up, that it was my birthday present.  

One important item of note: Mr. Tuttle is a brass toad who sits atop our blue bookshelf, right next to the cinnamon poinsettia.  I purchased him a week or so before our wedding, and he is a dear family friend.

The Honorable Mr. Tuttle

I opened the scroll and this is what it said,

"I didn't know if you knew this; but Mr. Tuttle, when no one is here, takes the liberty of gallivanting about the apartment, exploring.  When I came home early on Saturday I caught him in the act!  He mentioned that he was experiencing the "flora and fauna" of the apartment.  I asked him, rather dubiously, "Besides the obvious, what else have you found?"  He then, in a matter-of-fact manner stated them:

1. A rare red version of Pedicus Oderiferus that thrives in darkness.

2. A variant of the Rabbitus Coelhinus in orange, that strives in the desert.

3. Tempus Palmus, a small plant that grows in shady places.

4. Discus Labyrinthum, a thorny plant that grows in shady places. 

5. One he called Cremus Foil, and stated that it was found wherever peanuts are grown.  I didn't buy this at all.  I think he was just hungry.  

6. A common thing he called Relaxius Monimentus.  It sounded nice to me. 

7. Lucem Globus, it apparently thrives in moist-to-tropical climates, and is always white. 

8. Maitrecus Buddhus.

9. Familia Professo, a squar-ish sort of plant with cream and dark red foliage. 

10. Arborum Paludosus, a tree that grows in clumps of three with red leaves, usually in swampy areas. 

11. An interesting black and white variant of Sinus Tergus, or "Leather Pocket" that only buds in the winter, and for the rest of the year lies dormant, clung to a vine in dark places. 

I asked him to show me these things, wondering what he was up to.  He hesitantly showed me what they were, but begged me to not handle them as they  need a more delicate hand to care for them (he doesn't think much of my dexterity, apparently).  I mentioned that you have an increasing appreciation for plants.  He nodded politely and them muttered something under this breath.  Then he stated that you would appreciate his findings and his unique perspective.  He's a sneaky one, if you ask me!

Happy Birthday!!  

Love, Kip"

I was a little baffled as to what these 11 plants were.  ?  Had Kip gone wild at the local nursery and purchased a number of different plants for presents?  No, they were all clues.  All clues.  To what?  I couldn't stop laughing and then began with number one.  

"1. A rare red version of Pedicus Oderiferus that thrives in darkness."   Alright, it was something red, that was in a dark place...ped, latin for foot, odour...hmmm, I thought I knew what that it was referring to...

...my red shoes.  I went to the closet and there was a dollar in each one.  The Hunt was on!

Here are what the rest of the clues led me to find, all stuffed with dollar bills...

#2 Rabitus Coelhinus in orange, that strives in the desert was O Alquimista, a book by Paulo Coelho.  Coelho means Rabbit in Portuguese.  A few more dollars. 

#3, Tempo Palmus, was my favorite clock.  

#4, Discus Labyrinthym, plant from north of England, was my Sting CD "Songs from the Labyrinth."  He plays Lute music by John Dowland on that Album.  

#5, Cremus Foil, was a jar of Peanut Butter...I must have lost that picture

# 6, Relaxius Movimentus was the old rocking chair in the bedroom...

# 7, the Lucem Globus that thrives in moist-to-tropical climates, was the pile of light bulbs in the bathroom, which I turn into a tropical climate everyday with a warm bath. 

#8, the Maitrecus Buddhus was the Maitrea Buddha that sits above our CD rack.  (Several years ago Kip was in Seattle visiting his parents and he saw this happy Buddha at a shop and liked his smile so much he brought him home.)  

#9, the Familia Professo, was a Family Proclamation we have hanging on our wall that talks about the vital importance of families.  

#10, the Arborum Paludosus, was a big painting we have in our living room!  Here is a snapshot of  part of it.  

And last, but not least... 

#11, the Sinus Tergus or "Leather Pocket", was Kip's leather jacket in the coat closet.  It was stuffed with about thirty additional one dollar bills.  

All in all it was a very fun "plant & flower" hunt!  Some clues I got quickly, others took me a while, though they are now very obvious.  I ended up with a lot of birthday money that Kip said to spend on whatever I wanted, though he did mention Red Clover as an option of money well spent.  He's learning...ha ha.  I loved it and had such a great time!  Thanks, Kip, for being such a wonderful husband!  Dinner was great, so was the present (The plant theme was the way into my heart), and spending the evening with you was the sweetest part!  I love you.   

HAPPY RED CLOVER NEW YEAR!

(This is a picture I snapped last summer.  I thought it would be a good one to start out the new year with. It just seems to be bursting with promise!)

What Joy!  It is a new year, yes folks, it is that.  I mentioned a few weeks ago that Red Clover would begin it's new year on March 10th.  Here we are, at the very end of March 10th, 2009!  (Also, my birthday)    I had a "New Year" post in the works intended for today, which totally was thrown off by a flower scavenger hunt that Kip (my wonderful husband) sent me on.  That is tomorrow's post, because it's hilarious.  I would do it tonight, but it's a quarter to mid-night, and Kip has to get up early for class, and I am so tired.   Is that okay?  Yeah, I think so.  Alright.  Come back tomorrow, you won't want to miss it.  I thought it was just the best present in the world.   All is well with the world tonight...except that I stress Kip out with my creative bending of the budget.  Note to self: don't stress Kip out with creative bendings of the budget.   Smiles.  

The Poppy Field

Once, when I was fifteen years old, my Grandmother and I took a drive up a small canyon by her home.  It was an afternoon spackled in light, and as an artist my Grandmother was a great appreciator of beauty.  We came upon a field  where tall green grasses were highlighted by orange-red poppies.  Perfection.  She always had her camera with her so I was hustled out of the car and a picture was taken of me standing amid such radiant flowers.  Poppies have been one of my favorites ever since.  I still have that picture, perhaps I'll scan it in, but it reminds me of something I will miss.  Yesterday was my Grandmother's birthday.  She would have been 81.  She passed away in August of last year.  What a woman.  I admire her more as I grow older, because so much of what she endured and over came happened in her adult years.  She had a strength I didn't understand for a long time.  I am sure I still don't. 

Happy Birthday Grandmother.  I love you.  And I am planting poppy seeds this year.  

Vineyard Garden Center

Date 3/02/2009  Mon.  Time 12:35

1 Dahlia Tubber (Orion)          

1 Dahlia Tubber (Martha)                      

                                                      $7.98

3 Gladiolus  Bulbs (Jessica*)

                                             $1.47

1 Begonia Bulb (Apricot)

                                        $3.99

2 Packs of Seeds (Black-Eyed Susan & California Poppy)

                                      $3.18

1 Gerber Daisy (Orange!)

                                     $4.99

1 4" saucer (clear plastic)         

                                    $0.20

Tax                            $1.42

Total                                   $23.23

1 Red Clover needing to to expand her "Red Clover" budget**  

                                $ Could Be Pricey

1 Kip who came home from class to find his wife gone, yet her car was still in the drive and she wasn't answering her phone.  (I had walked to the garden center.)  

                             $ A Little Worried and More Then Happy to Pick Me Up and Give Me a Ride Home  

 

* Why name a tall orange flower "Jessica"?   I almost didn't buy it because of that.  It's not that I don't like the name...it's just, I don't know.  Didn't work for me.  

** I asked Kip about a monthly Red Clover budget, which he readily agreed too...and I already exceeded it in the above receipt.  It might need an adjustment. (I think my father would tell me I just need a little more self-control.  Both are probably true.)   Smiles.