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Sunday, June 10, 2012

To New South Wales, With Love, From the Leelanau



Dear Kathy and Grahame,

If you were visiting, this is where we would dine al fresco--out by the neglected and overrun garden. 

Yes, sorry to say, this garden has gone dreadfully to grass and weeds, and I find neither the time nor the energy (nor the inclination, obviously) to bring it back to its former, relatively orderly self. Still, the birds visit, and the flowers bloom.
The birds are happy as long as they have fresh water...


...and the flowers have made no objection to having weeds as close neighbors.


Well, there was this little renegade lot (below), who up and moved themselves clear out of the garden altogether.


Now they bloom like a bright secret, tucked way down in the grass, but I sort of like the effect.


The garden area directly in front of our old farmhouse is not yet completely out of control. It is here on our boardwalk that we enjoy our morning coffee while watching birds and dreaming of future improvements to our outdoor summer life.


There are no plums on the two plum trees, but one tree is newly planted this year, and it's been a bad season for stone fruits in northern Michigan. For now, the trees seem happy with leaves, and I'm happy with the trees.


It is no Varykino. Well, maybe the caretaker's cottage?

5 comments:

  1. Such soft, pretty, summery pictures. Even your weeds are pretty! Winter is just beginning here and looking at your lovely flowers takes the sting out of an icy cold morning. New South Wales says thank you, Leelanau.

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  2. Looks lovely Pamela. Must come over and through a shrimp on the barbie!

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  3. Kathy and Grahame, I'm glad you are able to see the beauty of our partially neglected grounds. Grahame, we threw something on the "barbie" tonight, but it wasn't shrimp. Sat out at the table for dinner. It's very warm here (fan going on the porch), and even Sarah is conserving her energy, content to lie around with us and chew on a stick instead of running off to play with her friends up the hill.

    Do you see the clump of sage flowering next to that clay pot in the bottom left corner? We were sitting at the little deck table late this afternoon, and a hummingbird visited the sage. Later in the evening a red-bellied woodpecker kept calling from the wilows, a bluebird alternately perched on the electric line and visited the grass to dine on insects, and a yellow-shafted flicker paused briefly on the railroad tie by the birdbath. All in all, it was a stellar birdwatching day for me, with all those colorful visitors.

    Wasn't this a fun visit?

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  4. Uh oh did I write through instead of throw?...yes I did..I hang my head in shame. The grammar nazi here has just pinged me for this gross error!

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  5. Everyone understood what you meant, and everyone understands that comments cannot be edited after they're posted. Tell Kathy to stop hitting you!

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