I took this photo of the rosemary bush a few days ago, knowing that the grey days were coming again and I might need help remembering the sunshine. Sho' nuff, we're back to the two-fer days...two pair of pants, two pair of socks, two shirts. There are actually a lot of memories connected to this rosemary-for-remembrance bush. I planted it from a two-inch pot when we moved here going on thirteen years ago. The thyme and oregano still thrive, but deer consumed the sage, borage, and other tender herbs, and heat and drought wiped out the varieties of mint. Wild yarrow and feverfew moved in to fill the gaps. I thought when we came here that I would finally have all the flower and herb gardens one could ever wish for, and planted accordingly. Hollyhocks, sweetpeas, roses, black-eyed Susans, daisies, and so many, many more. Our resident deer were the best fed on the mountain. I finally put roses in planters on the deck, and then would wake in the middle of the night to the clomp-clomp of deer, coming all the way around to have a midnight snack right under the bedroom windows. I blamed the deer for eating newly-planted marigolds in the half-barrels by the front porch, until I actually saw a plant disappear underground as it was stolen by a gopher that had chewed through the bottom to get to the goodies. It's a life lesson...you don't always get what you want, so be happy with what you get!
Item for the Remember List:
always empty the alfalfa out of the bibby cuffs before putting into the wash.
2 comments:
With plenty of available ground for gardening in Chico, Dad would estimate how many plants he needed and then double it. He'd say "half ia for me and the other half for the gophers". Our Remember List is bring in the outdoor cat food before retiring. We have the best fed raccoons, skunks and possums in all of Chico.
It took me a number of years to figure out what our local wild animals wouldn't eat but most of the plants are now left in peace. (They definitely don't like rosemary or mint). The birds take a good share of the figs, however, and the possums love the avocados, but there are more than enough for all of us. Then there are the oranges, lemons, guavas, and persimmons....
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