I never made it to the liquor store yesterday…
Digging down Memory Lane
I planned to write yesterday afternoon instead of first thing in the morning. There is always so much to do when we open up the cottage. The “to do” list was growing rather than shrinking. So I determined to attack the list head on, then write.
Some things are a ritual, like the bird house and the buoys and the boats. Even just picking up sticks in the yard, pulling weeds, trying to find where you put this or that in the rush of Fall can take you down memory lane. And of course you must catch up with the neighbors about EVERYTHING that has happened over the winter
Above: Lawnscape Plant Center, Angola, Indiana.
I made good headway on the to do list, so after lunch I determined to head into town to the liquor store, pick up a few flowers for the memorial garden I had started, then get to this journal. I never made it to the liquor store. Or the journal. As I was passing this place I noticed a few annuals out front. Maybe they would have a few annual plants for sale. I made a U turn and pulled in. This greenhouse was hiding behind the store front, and there were lots of trees and shrubs outside.
And outside were Viburnums! Lots of viburnums! Especially my favorite, Viburnum carlesii, “Korean Spicebush” and a new variety of viburnum carlesii “Select S,” aka “Sugar and Spice.” I used to ball and burlap these viburnums (I always want to say “Viburna” for the plural - what is correct?) when I worked at the nursery farm. Their aroma is unique, almost transcendental, perfect for a memory garden.
I couldn’t decide which of the viburna to buy so I bought both. The plan for the memorial garden started to come together.
I sharpened up the spade and shovel and went to work.
The soil is rich and sandy here, but the ivy had taken hold. Ripping the roots out by hand from the soil was strangely rewarding work. Ivy always seems to me to be part of the underworld. I know it will return when I am no longer able to maintain this space. But for now I wanted it gone. Then there were the stumps of the old rose of Sharon and volunteer hickory and maple trees that had sprouted.
I took a sharp axe to the roots. The roots eventually won. I conceded. I decided that these stumps would be part of the memorial garden. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, right?
Above: Lantana are the small sun tolerant flowers under the viburnum.
My first task was to get the viburnums in, then plant as much as I could. You can see the ivy roots to the right. The roots permeated the soil and had to be pulled out by hand from every square foot of soil. They were deep too!
The daffodils were so thick and crowded. I dug up over 100 bulbs. I know it is too soon to dig them. One is supposed to wait until the foliage has dried, but they are secondary casualties. We will see if they dry properly, perhaps to be given away for replanting in the fall right before first frost. There are at least another 100 yet to dig. I will wait to dig the rest a bit longer so the green foliage can build up the bulb’s energy level. If anyone coming to the lake this summer wants some let me know. You can start your own memory garden with some Lake James daffodils!
My original plan had been to spread out the new material up to the marigolds at the top of the hill, and eventually to chop up the stump. It was the left over marigolds that had taken me down this path, but by 3:30 I was dragging and still had half of the ivy to dig out.
Plan B: put everything in for now, attack the rest of the ivy (and daffodils) this summer. Leave the stumps. They represent the eventual death, decay and rebirth of nature.
Above: Señorita Rosalita! I couldn’t resist this sun hardy hybrid cleome. It reminds me of my beloved Mexico. The nice thing about annuals is that you can change them every year, or keep the same color scheme next year. The greenhouse manager kindly pointed me to the sun tolerant section.
Angelface Super White Summer Snapdragon. What a great name! Our neighbor Jenny Lucas always had snapdragons in the back. As I child I fantasized that her snapdragons attacked unsuspecting mosquitos and defended the house against invaders!
The white and red glossy leafed vines are called Brazilian Jasmine (mandevilla sanderi). The greenhouse keeper said they will grow quickly up a trellis. Perhaps they can be trained to go up the rose of Sharon tree. If not perhaps I will build or buy a small trellis. I hope to get some nice rocks to prevent erosion on the slope and to add some visual interest.
We ended the day with a nice lakeside meal. I hope to share the recipe for the fantastic Tomato Cucumber Avodado Salad with Basil Pesto soon.
Thanks for coming along!
Laura of Garden Answers (YouTube channel) recently planted those viburnums! I don't know if we have those in England. In the USA YouTube I watch you have some great plant varieties that we don't seem to go for,but some I really like. I do love how the USA mindset is to breed down a tall rangy type plant to a smaller form (but keeping its grace) to fit a smaller garden but in England it's plant something else. I mean there's a place for both strategies,and I think USA is getting a lot on the world stage wrong these days but I do admire that USA can do mindset. I'm following the progress of your Memorial Garden.
Viburnum are so neat. I wasn’t familiar with them until a couple years ago, probably bc they’re not big in the tropics. There’s another plant they resemble that are more bushy we used to call snowball plants when little, but the name now escapes me. I’ll eventually remember it.