just a little chat to assure those who wonder if I'm still out here, that, yes, I'm still here in faerie holler. It's sad for me, though. the bulbs come up from frantically dug beds, and in times of stress between days of working and being totally exhausted mentally and physically, I dig them up, the soil so black and loose (we FINALLY got RAIN which thanks to the cold has loosened the soil to disgusting workablities) that I can just lift the bulbs with the green tongues, and gently pull them out of the devil's food cake like stuff and not rip one root. I then pile them into pots and top dress them with the black stuff and set the pot in the holding area's where I'll take more over to my landscaping friend, Karol's house and hope they survive until I find a home, or at least to plant them at her house I suppose.
Faerie Holler is scattered to the corners right now. Tree peonies at "Ethyl's" house where they are doing well I hope. No word from her as she is deep in achieving perfections in her work. I know she is watching over them carefully. Eventually, when things become more settled, I will visit them and take a few pots of bulbs for her to tuck in around her garden perimeters. Tropical plants and a huge wad of succulents and perennials and some beloved other plants are up in Greeneville area with Gloria where they are residing in various spots around her house and in the lizard and reptile room......I need to get gas and visit her and see how the plants are faring (I know they're fine as well...... I just MISS the Blood lily's pot showing signs of red tongues at this time, and curious as to the conditions of the Crinum's.
Karol as previously mentioned has the bulk of the perennials and shrubs and such like my retainer garden blocks. I finally dug up "Brudder John Skeffington's Deutzia after much labor and angst. It's sitting in holding in my black soil near the now leveled Frog Pond garden. the soil is still a foot deep and black......next to it, the Korean Spice Viburnum which I don't know will survive the dig or not. They're heeled in waiting for large pots.......and a single petaled Kerria Japonica in between. I am done with digging. The teasing of bulbs has drained me. I have gently pulled a "Woodstock" hyacinth out from the now destroyed Black Cherry bed and put it in the hyacinth vase and it's about to open for me in the kitchen window.
The hearing for eviction is set for February 25th at 1 p.m. No home for me or James and his teenager as of yet. I have hopes of finding something before this day comes. Things are quickly being packed and there's still tons of things waiting to be boxed or abandoned. The house seems to want to make it easier on me to leave....roof leaked horribly during a downpour the other day. Electricity in Patrick's room (teenager)went off and with no evidence as to why, and then just as spooky, back on again, making me uneasy for him to even SLEEP in there! Front wall outlets in living room are no longer working and no sign as to why. the downstairs west support wall hasn't moved apart anymore, but the imploding hasn't ceased either. The nook is more and more bare, and I'll pack the drawers of the computer desk next. shelves will come down and the bracket system will be removed along with the 18 foot shelves in the basement to be stored, and the closet organizer. I've made arrangements to store my appliances until I relocate. It's nice to see more control of the things that need organizing, and I'm not nearly as emotional about the bulbs. I DID have a moment the other day after warm weather woke the Cornelian Cherry tree's many little buds on the tree. It's once again showing me it's the first to bloom around here. Even before the Forsythia. The whacking I did upon it has given me fatter buds.... And in the window box that I tucked bulbs in one tear soaked night weeks ago, I spotted a white flash and realized it was one of my little snowdrops.........digging when upset helps more than I realize, so my gardening is still therapeutic. It's just hard to think about what Spring WOULD be were it not for what it is now....but then, I'm grateful that James has started to see little remnant signs of what was possible, and I DO have loads of pictures from previous years past.....
I promise to keep those who care informed to where I finally settle down with James and Patrick. My family has split but reformed and now each day marches on with promises of a calm that I desperately need. The dogs will remain with me along with the youngest feline, Maggie. The other cats will go with oldest son and the oldest patriarch feline, "Pest" or "Krusty the Kat" will go with youngest son who ruined him years ago..
It's another early day at the retirement village where I work in the kitchen. I miss talking to you all, and soon I hope to settle down and be more of what I consider normal. It's strange after composting for decades (and I mean literally after over 37 years) to not......and the compost in the back has melted down and wants to be used..........oh well.
Spring here in Faerie Holler is tearing at me, the birds are ticked at me for not filling the suet feeders, but everyone is patiently picking the thistle seed out of the socks that still hang. Garden stuff will be packed in the next few days, and I will do a walk around to assure myself nothing is left behind that I have attachments to. once I know if it's that day, or a week from then or a month, I will let you know who want to. Until then, stay warm and watch for early spring bloomers. I need to go to Karol's and tip out the pots of bulbs and plant them proper or I'll lose hundreds of them that I frantically dug months ago. I still love you all and will hook back up when I can.
maddie up on the ridge, back in faerie holler, overlooking English Mountain with me Englishman, in Eastern Tennessee, zone 7, Sunset zone 36