The longest day is a favorite day for me, especially when it falls on the weekend and I can enjoy every minute of it. A walk through the garden, everything weeded and deadheaded and looking happy. Time to clean the birdbath fountain so the birds and I are happy. They really use it, and I love watching them.
BW’s out mowing the grass, which he enjoys much more than I would.
We’re both pretty much packed for departure tomorrow. It’s our family week at the spa, and we’re quite a group. All grandkids, but Griffin, are taking a boy/girlfriend this year. Add in our friends the Orrs, and we’re a group of 16.
But before I go, and because Italy’s coming right up, I want the house and gardens in the best possible shape for our house/dog sitter.
So fill the bird feeders, feed the sour dough, tidy what’s not tidy.
Then she’ll tend to the dogs and my pots.
The gardens look good, so I thought I’d take some updated pictures to share.
The deer have been ridiculous this year. No matter what we do. We spray relentlessly, and we’ve tried these sonar deals that are supposed to keep them out. Hah!
Last Sunday I took a morning walk and was so pleased to see the lilies out front flowering and budding. Figured our dedication was working. That afternoon, another walk. Every bud and flower consumed.
And they’re fearless. I flushed one out during a weekday walk, and it ran about ten feet, stopped, looked back at me like: What? I yelled, waved my arms, marched toward it. She didn’t budge an inch until I was about six feet away and wondering WTF I’d do if she just stuck.
Scold her? Have a serious conversation?
They even got half of my New Guinea impatiens in the whiskey barrel by the garden shed, which means they walked right up the driveway. Then just a couple days ago, I caught one grazing right in the front yard. Jeez.
The struggle is real, but despite them, things are doing pretty well.
We moved those fucking wings to the little area where we put in a Crepe Myrtle, and added a couple friends. I enjoy the theme.
I planted a whole bunch of nasturtium seeds, adding some to the terrace beds along the lane. They’re starting to bloom, though the deer again got some where I’d climbed up to put some in the upper terrace. Still, I think they’ll put on a nice show.
Hope you can take advantage of this lovely long day, or those in the Southern Hemisphere, this long night.
Happy Solstice.
Nora
Plus, nasturtiums are great in salads!
Your place must be a haven if the deer have chosen it. Good vibes! And, oh my yes, do I understand the frustration.
Hope all of you have more enjoyment than you dreamed possible.
TY Nora! love hearing from you. Happy travels. 🙂
Nora, I feel your pain with those dratted deer! I had a similar problem with bush tailed possums eating my rose buds in a previous house. I had two lovely climbing roses on a trellis but they must’ve preferred the Dublin Bay over the Iceberg, as every time a red bud swelled- snip!
Oh, how I envy you. I live in Chandler, Arizona in a neighborhood. No deer within 90 miles. I long for a piece of property with lush, natural surroundings and animals!!
What a treat that must be. Your gardens are lovely. Ther terrace wall is stunning.
And, thank you for the house and days I am able to spend in your world. I have been around since before Roarke. I used to have a nightshirt that I dream of Roarke and it was signed by you. I wore it out.
I have your town and Turn the Page on my bucket list and can’t wait to be there.
A very big fan!
Anne D.
They are coming out of our eyeballs in Texas… Oh, the carnage!
Your garden is lovely despite the deer. No deer around here. We have coyotes. Not exactly the same. Don’t have to worry about the garden, just small pets.
You gardens look lovely, despite the deer! Happy Solstice!
I always love your garden. Had a friend with a very large house pig for whom they planted a pig garden with edibles for him. Maybe you need a deer garden that’s in the north 40 and away from the people garden. Maybe a pretty iron fence to keep them in said 40. We had deer in Redding, CA and wild horses in the yard in Dayton, NV near Carson City. They were something else! Have a fun vacay!
We’re in the middle of the woods, mountain property. I’d have to fence acres, and try to cultivate rocky, shaded land. Just isn’t feasible. And it’s so annoying as the woods are full of food for the deer. But not as tasty as my flowers!
Beautiful plants and garden. Have you tried leaving human hair around your plants? Have family save their hair clippings. Spread them around the plants.
Been there, done that. Honestly, we’e doing everything. Nothing really works long term,
Your garden is lovely. I can’t imagine the work required to maintain it. I love the dancing woman on the wall. Enjoy your trip.
As far as the deer go, have you tried human urine? It’s supposedly a Native American trick they used to protect their crops. Find an old chamber pot to collect it in and than spread it in a circle around the area. It looks and sounds like you have a lot of ground to cover so it might take a few days to achieve total coverage.
Been there, too. Every time we think something’s working, it’s like the deer get used to it, think: Oh, that old trick. Then munch on their merry way.
You have the best gardens!!! I love our flowers, too, but here in IL it’s the bunnies….hostas chewed to the roots….argh.
Anyway, enjoy your spa week and we look forward to the pictures of Italy soon to come!!
The only thing we have found works to keep the deer out of our garden at night is a flood light shining on them. But ours are people shy. Yours obviously are not. Have you tried coyote urine? Or some other predator urine they won’t like? Fortunately, they so far, ( fingers crossed) don’t prefer my flowers.
I have a big dog, and once I tried wolf pee. Nothing. These deer are scared of little. I used an air horn for awhile, and they’d run away like the wind. Now, they back off some, look back at me like neener-neener.
Have a wonderful time with your family in your upcoming retreat. I love the garden I have I do not have deer. I have a bunny who is getting into my garden.
To address that issue. I am putting carrot strips in the ground far from my garden. The bunny seems to really like them.
So I looked up suggestions online. Basically it looked like everyone ended up putting an eight foot fence around the area. LOL!! They did say you have to keep reapplying any type of smelly deterrent every three to four weeks. Also suggested planting plants that the deer don’t like at the edges of your garden. They recommended lavender, daffodils, marigolds, Russian sage and lamb’s ear. You would have lavender and sage you could dry for sachets for your dresser drawers.
We actually spray every week, and I plant lots of deer resistant. Sometimes they eat those, too!
Oh my!! Absolutely stunning!!
What a lovely, peaceful place you have! I live on 30 acres in the country, woods behind us. I wouldn’t trade it for anything! Enjoy the time with your family.
Vicki
Just love your gardens! Wondering how you water all those pots! I have a lot smaller landscape for planting and only 18 pots and it takes me quite awhile to water just these few.
Enjoy your trip to Europe. I will visit thru your daily blog.
Darn those deer! Oh well, so it goes, bless them! Love the shot of the nasturtiums; hopefully you’re getting enough for meals. They’re good on sandwiches as well as salads. You’ve added a few dragons, I think. I always enjoy looking at your statuary, not just the dragons! Thanks, and enjoy your trips!
Oh well, I tried. Hope you and your family and friends have a lovely time at the spa and a stupendous time in Italy. Thank you again for all your hard work writing excellent books that stand the test of time and can be reread over and over again.
I don’t have problems with deer & consider myself lucky; there are lots around here in SW Ohio, but they’d have to cross a lot of open field & pasture to get to my little space, plus fence, so they probably figure not worth it. I’m having problem with something eating my geraniums however! No clue what it is, no problem with them during the winter while they’re in the house, blooming away, so not an insect like a cut worm. But move those pots out to the front porch & something comes chomping! and they don’t even carry the chompings away. Just leave them laying on the ground! 3 of them eaten completely down to the base so far, others about half gone. Happily, geraniums are tough; they’re leafing back out. See how long those leaves last, right? And they’re chewing on my big pot of moss rose (portulaca), darn it! 1st time they’ve done that! Weird, they’re not bothering the pots of hostas on another section of the porch. I’ve had pots of geraniums in that area as long as I’ve lived here (34 yrs) and this only started a couple years ago. Just flat strange! any ideas, folks? Thanks!
My sincere sympathy and understanding regarding the deer. They even climb our stairs to our deck to eat our hostas!
I live on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Beautiful. I always enjoy seeing the flowers & reading what you have to say. Thank you for sharing 😊
You have a very lovely garden. I too garden but mine not quite so pretty. I do lots of veggies but love flowers too for color and pollination purposes. My dahlias are especially nice right this moment.
Im re-reading your In the Garden series fir maybe the 4th time. I’ve reread .any of your books but this series one of my favorites. Have you ever considered revisiting these characters like maybe with the children of Stella and Haley? It would be so much fun to meet up with these people again. What kind of a woman does Lily grow up to be? What do Gavin and Luke do with their lives? Well, just a thought. Love what you write. Thank you for the countless hours of pleasure your writings have given me.
Paul Finnegan
I am a great fan of yours. Love, love your books. Your garden is beautiful and the setting looks very peaceful. I live in a small country village in NSW Australia. We don’t have the problem of deers etc just pests and my dog who thinks she has the right to pee and poo wherever she likes and loves burying bones in the freshly dug soil. Nevertheless I love her and my garden. Enjoy your family break