Garden queen

I just returned from house sitting in Schaefferstown, PA at the home of a friend who is a terrific gardener, cook and artist. What a treat to sample what life is like in another person’s shoes. Her garden is a tangle of fruit trees, herbs and vegetables and glorious flowers, some of which I’ve only seen in books. Tending the chickens, watereing the plants, cooking and looking at a lot of books, but mostly observing a life that can be away from the world, one that is not so different  from  my teenaged years when my family relocated to Perkiomenville, PA. We grew vegetables, not veggies, and had a variety of fowl; feathered friends from turkeys to Rhode Island Reds with a great variety of eggs. I’d have to say it taught me self sufficiency long before discussions of sustainability. So, as I watched the Amish people come and go I had to wonder what life is like in their very ordered community because life in the country does tend to take the outside in—in my case.

Beautiful swimmer

This beautiful young swimmer was just a tadpole with a long tail. Then presto! Long legs. These are tiny frogs, maybe an inch and a half but they'll get to be big boys by the end of the summer.

The magnificent Linden tree at Chanticleer

The springtime blooms of this great Linden tree mix fragrance with the adjacent gardenias and make a heady perfume. Friday evening at dusk is the perfect time to enjoy the gardens at Chanticleer in Devon, PA when friends gather in groups for picnics where so many creative seating options can be discovered. Some people sat at this railing to enjoy the panorama beyond. My favorite place is the wonderful stone sofa near the romatic ruin.

A green apple muncher

He doesn't care if the apples are green and hard as a rock. He's the same guy who goes to the tippy top of the fig tree to get the biggest, most succulent fruit and sits perched way out of reach filling his chubby cheeks. Of course the figs will take another month. But he's already got them on his list.

The robins flew the nest!

How was I to know that the day I took this picture was their last? Maybe I worried them and hastened their flight. But I don't think so because those robin parents were so diligent and took such excellent care of their young. They wouldn't have done anything wrong. Look at that sturdy nest. They made a point of following me with my garden chores as I was digging in the compost pile. I know that every time I took a load away they swooped in to get the fat worms.

A view of the pond through the garden room

The pond is small but so important. Butterflies and dragonflies visit. I like to think the frogs keep the mosquitoes under control but they miss a lot. We'll add fish when it's warm, and though the pond's deep enough for fish to winter over, this winter was an exception. The saddest thing several years ago was when the goldfish grew large enough to be noticed by the raccoons who went fishing one night in a clumsy bout with the waterlilies. The fountain hasn't worked for years—would be awfully nice for the sound of water trickling. Watching the fish swimming from the second floor is an unexpected pleasure.

Carp at Chanticleer

Everything is so perfect at Chanticleer! It's a big reminder of our own annual pond cleanup. Our little pond in the center of a formal garden where the frogs have already set up residence. The draining of the pond is always a big worry about disrupting their reproduction. I guess it's time for me to keep a serious garden journal. All the waterlilies need separating. They grow like crazy. A sunny day is necessary for this job—too chilly now to think of getting wet.