Remembering Summer

It was a busy summer, and I chose not to write any blogs over the summer. While I made quick posts on Facebook and Instagram, I did not take the time to write more information. Sometimes, it is better to just live in the moment rather than document the moment. Concerts and other events are full of people all holding up their phones to record whatever is happening in front of them. When I spend as much or more time trying to record my life events, I become not a participant, but a spectator. It is nice to have the record, however my mind is concentrating on the recording, not the event itself. I tried to be a full participant this summer.

My last post was an update about the Oriental Garden. It is growing nicely. I have two additional tree peonies on order for delivery next spring. I purchased 9 iris rhizomes from the Historic Iris Preservation Society sale in July, and just last week added 15 more. All are new varieties to our gardens. It will take them a couple of years to bloom. In addition to iris, I planted 2 camellia bushes. Despite their small size, one of the plants has two buds that will hopefully open in early spring. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has lovely camellias growing at the entrance to their Japanese garden. A friend, Andy, has a really nice one growing in Beacon, just across the river. Our changing climate zone enables us to plant an ever-changing variety of plants that would not have been possible some decades ago.

On the edge of the Oriental Garden, I planted a beautiful small, leafed rhododendron. In late winter, deer broke off half of the plant. The deer did not just nibble on the leaves they broke the main branch completely off. To thwart them and allow the rhododendron to recover, I made a rustic cage for the plant.

I am happy to report the cage worked. The deer were not able to reach the plant giving it a chance to recover over the summer. It has good growth and many buds for next spring. The decorative cage was constructed from branches pruned in late winter. I am in the process of making more such cages, of varying sizes, for other plants the deer have been attacking, in particular the oak leaf hydrangeas, one of which has really taken off since I blocked the deer.

We had a lot of fun entertaining and going to other people’s houses over the summer. Here is a cake I made for a friend’s birthday. Using a Mary Berry recipe, I made a sponge, covered it with strawberries, then piped stabilized whipped cream around the strawberries, filled it with chocolate mousse, more whipped cream and then a layer of buttercream flowers. The birthday girl is a gardener, so flowers were appropriate. It was delicious.

We had fun dinner parties, meetings, a fundraiser and of course a summer garden tour.

A special Asian themed dinner with friends. Flowers from the garden.

Our table in the living room set up for a Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh meeting. Tea and cookies with flowers from the garden.

We organized a Summer Garden Tour of friends’ and neighbors’ gardens. It was a nice summer day, and we went from house to house to see what things were blooming. Next year, we will probably not host the garden tour and instead host a daffodil party when we open the garden in spring. Speaking of daffodils, I just finished planting, this week, another 1,000 daffodils in the garden. This brings us to a total of at least 6,000 bulbs we have planted in the garden.

We got dressed up to attend the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh 25th Anniversary gala. It is an amazing organization that does a lot of good in the community. I am completing my third year as president of the board. In a few short weeks, I will hand over the presidency to my successor. I have enjoyed meeting and getting to know many different people throughout the community. Next year, I will have more time to garden in the summer.

We hosted a fundraiser for Kamala Harris. We served dessert – flourless chocolate cake, Victoria Sponge, German Chocolate Cake, Bienenstich, and a coconut cake, in addition to peanut butter cookies and chocolate brownies. Wonderful friends and neighbors came to our event, which was set up under a tent on the lawn. It was a delightful late summer afternoon.

We went on many hikes. One of our favorites was the Labyrinth at Mohonk Mountain House. The Lemon Squeeze is a particularly narrow part of the climb. Not everyone can climb the Labyrinth because it is difficult, and narrow. A woman ahead of us was really struggling toward the end. We powered through it and had a lot of fun.

I planted a new type of morning glory. It took all summer before it bloomed, but the wait was worth it. The blossoms on this Blue Picotee are really amazing.

Because of rains throughout late spring and early summer, it was an exceptional year for hydrangea. They bloomed profusely this year.

We saw many fireflies, butterflies, hummingbirds and hawks this year. It is a delight to go outside in the summer to see and hear nature all around you.

Now that autumn has officially arrived, I am doing some last-minute planting. The photo on the left shows two Red Crimson Black Diamond crape myrtles. The photo on the left shows those same crape myrtles with four Catawba crape myrtles. The cost of each of the plants was roughly the same, but what a contrast. The Black Diamonds were ordered online from Walmart, while the four Catawba were from The Crape Myrtle company. It just proves you never know what to expect. I would not have guessed Walmart to be a supplier of such nice stock. We now have 18 crape myrtles planted in the garden, in various shades of white, pink, red and purple. Another example of our changing planting zone.

Living in New York, and especially in the Hudson Valley, is such a privilege. We truly live at the end of the rainbow, not just because it is such a great area, with awesome people, things to do and see, but also because, as the Dorothy said, there is no place like home!