Hi Hayden – Oh, laugh away! No one would have enjoyed the laugh more than Dad! I now know that part of the reason was sheer exhaustion from his work week and the extra-curricular he took on of remodeling the house we eventually lived in, which took him a year of nights and weekends. Thank you.

I shouldn’t laugh but I found this pretty hilarious. Chris used to work the night and evening shifts. I kept trying to take him to church except he would fall asleep within minutes and he SNORES. So I had to give up on family Sundays for a while. (My elbow hurt!)

Hayden Tompkins´s last blog post..We will not go quietly into the night…

I had a couple of showy daylilies in my garden in Deephaven. One was a creamy white with the faintest peach blush, peaches and cream. Mitch, our landscaper who has worked for me off and on over more than ten years, convinced me on that one. She truly was a show-stopper. Why I didn’t dig up more of my pretties when I moved into Pete’s house, I don’t know.

Now Mitch is coming to this house to deal with our problem hill. We’ll be getting more daylilies from the benefactor, but I’m sure Mitch has some swell ideas, and we’re going to run with all of them that we can afford. What the hey. Thanks.

Hi Kim – Oh Kim, I would’ve loved your mother. You see, and Pete will attest, I am a lupine shouter, too! When I would visit my late friend Maria at her home on Southport Island, Maine, we would walk through fields and fields of lupine. I can’t get it to grow. Most recently I have seen it in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and sparsely in a wildlife refuge we stopped at along the Mississippi. There went my theory that I was too far south for it. I adore lupine. It is so magnificent. Shout lupine all you can!

Yeah, that photo is so my dad. He and my Uncle Charlie were James Dean personified, cigarettes in t-shirt sleeves and everything. The stories we’ve heard recently confirm what a badass my dad really was. The thing I always notice is how tan and muscular his forearms are. He always had a Farmer Tan.

And you’re right, containment can spoil our wildness and wilt our spirits. Thank you.

Hi Mary – Well, you and me both, dear. I used a lot of kleenex writing this one. I’m just turning into a sappy old fool. But stuff is coming together, or full circle, in this kind of way in my brain these days. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Yes, that pic is like, “You talkin’ to me?” Oh, and notice…the shoes. Even then, with any outfit, I had great shoes. LMAO.

Your Dad looks so cool in the 2nd photo

I loved this line “Contain them in a vase and you’ll be disappointed.” I think that can be true for people too – if we try to make them conform and fit in in ways that they don’t, they will wilt.

I don’t know if you have lupines where you live … the bloom very briefly in N Vermont – usually around Father’s Day. My Mom (who knew way more about plants and flowers than I do) would get so excited and shout “Lupines” wherever we would see them. My brother said there were tons of them this year – it made me sad that my Mom was missing it and that shouting Lupines wouldn’t be so funny anymore.

Kim Woodbridge´s last blog post..… And Whiskers on Kittens

We had a huge patch of the lilies in the yard when we moved in 20 years ago the 4th of July…we have separated them and planted them in the woods and what a fine show – a reward.
Foxglove is just 10 foot tall prolific, we never plant it but it is another roadside attraction as are these sweet little daisies that are blooming now too…and 3 tall deep blue plants I have never seen before – bird gifts I think!

Thank you for sharing your garden adventures which are very similar to mine – though I never can remember the names of the plants. Darn it all!

To summer and flowers beauty and your lovely history/ storytelling adventure here. Thank you

Patricia´s last blog post..The Magic WANT!