Thursday, June 4

My Mother Made Me Do It...

Last night, I was on the phone with Mom when I heard her mutter, "Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day..." under her breath. She took advantage of the next break in conversation to ask, "So, when are you going to put up a new post, anyway?"

I sighed. "My digital camera is dead, remember? What fun is it to post on my blog if I can't put up garden photos, too?" (Let's be honest: I NEED lots of photos to break up all of the wordy mind-wanderings that end up getting posted on this blog!)

"Oh, that's right," Mom said. "I forgot about your camera. Well, you should at least put up a post to let people know what's going on. Some people read your blog, you know... they probably miss you and wonder what's going on!" (I guess Moms never stop being your cheerleader... even when you're 33 and haven't lived at home for over a decade. :)

Since I always do what my Mom says (*ahem*) here's a post to let everyone know why this blog has been relatively quiet lately. And here are the last few photos that I was able to retrieve from my camera before its demise:

The texture of the front yard garden as seen from the porch steps, during the usual lull between tulip time and the start of the spring perennial show.

More texture: The dry corner between the driveway and the walkway leading to the porch. Plants featured here include lavender, sea kale, carex buchanii, and sempervivums. (And now, coral-flowering portulaca as well.)

Can you tell I'm a texture fan yet? Clockwise from bottom left: salvia lyrata, sea kale, sedum album and nassella (aka stipa) tenuissima, with some ripening tulip foliage and driftwood scattered throughout.

Two years ago, I made some planting spaces in a retaining wall in my backyard so that I could plant a few sedums there for interest. Now the pocket-planted sedum cauticola pokes through a veil of woolly thyme, and some of the cute little sedum album planted at its base tries to climb the wall beside it. I love this little tapestry of color and texture!

Anyway, posts from me will be few and far between for a while--until I break down and buy a new digital camera at some point. I will try to borrow my digital camera from work on occasion, so that I can chronicle my garden and keep things up to date here on the blog... and hope that this is a short (and not permanent) hiatus. :(

Of course, I'll continue to post comments on many other garden blogs as well. To focus on the silver lining of this cloud: It will definitely be nice to have a little extra time to see what's going on in everyone else's yards this summer!

21 comments:

Benjamin Vogt said...

I'd send you a new camera if I had money, knew you better, et cetera. Care for an old computer, a pentium 4? Nice to see a view of the larger garden. Ahem. :) I just picked up a new bronze carex, I wonder if I got what you have. It's cool looking.

Oh said...

Very cool that your mom is blog-savvy! Yes, we miss your pictures but can keep looking at the "old" ones nonetheless. Good to hear from you and hey, gotta love the "universality" of mom-ness!

Yes, we love your blog for the sheer joy of the plants and flowers and your stories, too.

Anna said...

Mom is absolutey correct... people do check your blog :o)
(Even though 'they' don't post a comment) :o(

Hope you get your camera fixed pronto!

Best wishes,
Anna

Anonymous said...

Kim,
Mom is right, the family is interested in reading your blog!
I have an idea, remember the crowbar you borrowed? Just ask dad to borrow HIS digital camera!
Problem solved!
Anyway, good to hear from you and post as often as you can. If you really need a camera interim, I still have an old one you can borrow/have when you visit next!

~C

Unknown said...

Benjamin, thanks... it's been hard to smile through this bummer, but that "if" offer made me grin! :) I actually have two different kinds of bronze sedge, carex buchanii (sometimes sold as "Red Fox") and carex flagillifera (sp?)... the later isn't nearly as showy for me, I think because it doesn't like dry. Any idea which carex you have?

Oh, yeah, Mom keeps up with the blog... but she REFUSES to get an email account! Go figure! :) (And thanks for the compliments.)

Anna, thanks for popping in ... and please feel free to comment again any time you'd like! :-)

Craig, ooh... is this your old digital camera that is just like my (former) digital camera? If so, I'll even buy it off of you! (Or at least come bearing fun plants for your container veggie garden...)

And VERY FUNNY about the crowbar! I offered to give it back--he just wanted to buy himself a new one, I think. ;)

Heather's Garden said...

Kim, I wondered what was going on, but since I saw you commenting elsewhere, I wasn't worried about you. My mom's always talking about my blog too. She is definitely my most loyal reader. Break down and buy a new camera, I can't go without posts from you for long!

chuck b. said...

I recommend any of the Canon PowerShots, which you can find used on Amazon for ~$150. :)

Muum said...

Hey, I'm on Mom's side, too! I love to read updates on my kids' blogs, and see pics, too. I am learning about texture and color by reading your blog and seeing your ideas. btw, 'borrowing' works in our family, too, lol.

joey said...

I'm so sorry about your camera, Kim :( You have so much talent! Now listen to your mother, mom's know best :) I adore my daughter and her friends that so enrich MY life. Do hope you can work something out ... I remember that you borrowed a camera from work and had lots of fun figuring it out. Garden hugs.

Layanee said...

Please thank your Mom for me....I was wondering if you had given up on all of us. Good to know it is just the camera inconvenience.

Gail said...

Kim, You are the Queen of Textures and I always learn from your posts! Have you tried your cell phone camera? I am totally surprised at the quality of the photos? Glad to know all is well...except the camera part. gail

Unknown said...

From Jessica in Knoxville:
(I deleted her original comment just so spammers didn't find her email address via their web-crawling software... but am posting the edited version of her very sweet message here.)

If you'd like, I'll loan you my old one (Kodak EasyShare CX7430) until you get a new one. I somehow stumbled upon your blog a while back and have really missed the posts as I too am a foliage fan. If you're interested, email me at (email).

Best,
Jessica Rodocker in Knoxville, TN

Unknown said...

Heather's Garden, my Mom is one of my most loyal readers, too, and my Dad isn't too far behind! (And my brothers--as you can tell from their sometimes sweet and sometimes bratty comments, lol--read the blog occasionally, too.) :)

chuck b, that's not a bad idea... I wasn't thinking about buying a used one, and I wouldn't have thought about checking Amazon.com. Hmm...

Layanee said...

Okay, it has been eight days....nag, nag, nag from someone else's mother!

Wayne Stratz said...

I had a few posts recently where I just used a photo from last year's garden, but today I posted with fresh photos.

how is your blossoming love of jazz?

Colleen Vanderlinden said...

Well, here's another person who has missed your posts, but is very, very glad to hear that you're still blogging :-) So happy to hear from you again!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I love seeing your textures. Your front garden has really came into its own now. I can remember the before photos. Sure do miss your posts. You should listen to your Mom. Hey Mom, Kim could really use a new camera. hint hint. How's that for some help?? ;)

lisa said...

Mother definately knows best! I'm reading from top to bottom, so I already know you solved the dilemma. Glad you're back in action...I'd be super-bummed if mine broke!

Pam/Digging said...

Yes, some of us DO read your blog (just like your mom said) and have been wondering where you've been. :-) Thanks for the update, and I hope you get a new camera soon.

Sylvana said...

I just picked up a few new sedums. I think my husband might like that "Chubby Fingers". I love all the colors that you use and of course, the texture!!

We could trade: sedum for snow-in-summer. :)

Betty said...

Ask Mom for an early Christmas or Birthday present..a new camera!

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