Our feature photo this month is Marilyn, one of our reblooming irises. The Marilyn Monroes of the flower world, irises dominate the gardens during the month of May with their eye-catching blooms. Tucked in here and there about the farm, year after year they add grace and beauty to whatever spot they find themselves in. Readers may click on any photo to enlarge.
News from the farm
May has been a tentative month, still feeling the presence of Old Man Winter with cooler, although drier, weather patterns. Many a morning has been cool and grey, dissolving into a patchwork of assorted clouds forms against the stark blue of late morning or afternoon. The aerial rivers of moisture that flow across the Pacific Northwest have yielded little precipitation this month in our area though, and some plants here are prematurely showing signs of water stress.
Deer have already begun to make themselves known, sampling the roses in the garden. Rick noted deer damage in the back of the rows of table grapes, mostly in the Niagara and Delaware varieties; fresh green shoots were eaten back to the main cane in many places. They will regrow from other dormant buds, but this will set back fruit production in those ones that were eaten. At this time of year we spray deer repellent on the new growth, often initiated by the first attacks on the vines. Our pinot vineyard is safely behind deer fencing.
The progression of spring continues into its last phase as more irises enter their bloom time; the gardens have shifted from the golden yellows and whites of daffodils to the predominant late spring and summer shades of blue and purple. Dark purple columbines have been increasing their representation in the gardens every year since a few hitchhiking seeds arrived in a bag of rabbit manure a number of years ago, and settled in by the old garage.
Cherry, plum and pear blossoms have fallen like snow, replaced by small, hard, green growing fruit.
Our vineyards are at the flowering stage, and we hope for an uneventful summer and a good grape harvest. To grow and tend the grapes, and taste one’s own wine made from them, is to truly appreciate what goes into a bottle of wine. It is no longer just a drink, but now a living thing. It is the alchemy of air, sunlight and rain, the soil with all its minerals, nutrients and microbial life, guided by caring and hardworking hands from vine to bottle.
A clear and chilly 36 degrees greeted me at daybreak this morning before I headed across the valley to Corvallis. Down by the waterfront, I was greeted by cold and windy conditions which were mitigated by an unusual and fascinatingly beautiful milky sky. Clouds seem much more impressive when seen through polarized sunglasses; there is an increased sense of depth and distinct boundaries not available to the normal eye. A thin light grey film of high ice crystal clouds covered the sky, providing the backdrop for lower level amoeboid altocumulus and cirrocumulus wandering though the double halo, created by refraction of light through ice crystal prisms. These wanderers passing through the inner circular of the halo took on a faint opalescence of their own. Many bystanders took pictures.
The first daylily bloomed today; the only peony to bloom this year is opening its buds; the north border heirloom rose is beginning its short bloom cycle. The air is thick with the heavy, musk of the black locust tree in bloom. As frenetic as this time of year can be, it is a good time to be alive and feel a part of all things.
News from the Cats of Salmon Brook Farms
Resident Feline Correspondent Mr. Nano has called upon the Sicilian Feline Correspondents Desk for Correspondent Lucky’s report on the olive farm at The House of 40 Paws in May. Without further ado, Mr. Lucky will present his findings.
Spring on the olive farm has brought longer days and warmer weather which led to the Sicilian Olive Farm cats changing their napping accommodations. The preferred arrangement now is boxes and crates which give enough protection and ample space for piling as many cats as possible into one place. The sunny terrace provides a good vantage point for observation. The mulberry tree, which so kindly gives morning shade, currently shelters a nest of magpies, who are always scolding any cat that approaches too closely.
There are two kinds of lavender currently blooming, Stokes or Italian Lavender followed by French Lavender. These plants are a haven for the bees and good hiding places for felines in need of a good surprise ambush to raise adrenaline levels.
Early in spring there was a bumper crop of Spinacciola or wild radish. One might consider it a weed but here it is appreciated both for its fragrance and the edible leaves. “Cooked saltate” means boiled first then drained and sautéed in olive oil with hot pepper and garlic; it is delicious!
As winter wheat, vetch and fave beans planted in nearby fields mature, the countryside changes from shades of green to yellow and gold. The wild red poppies that sprout amid the crops visually set the fields on fire.
Among the olive trees in our field is a nitrogen fixing plant called Sulla which looks very similar to a red lupine. The resident human farmers have tilled up our field to aerate the soil for the olive trees. We feel fortunate to have a two acre sand box, quite suitable for a blind feline to take care of his personal needs, chase fellow correspondents and hide from human caregivers. I am the primary inspector on this farm, periodically climbing the olive trees to check for buds. I am pleased to report they are ready to bloom. We are hopeful that the rain will hold off until the bees can complete their work pollinating the entire grove.
The other correspondents are not quite as adventurous. They express a preference for playing with laundry or having serious philosophical discussions on the terrace.
The Sicilian Feline Correspondents Desk wishes all our readers a bountiful and beautiful summer season.
– Sicilian Feline Correspondent Lucky, reporting from the olive farm at the House of 40 Paws
Music news (schedule posted on the Performance Schedule page)
I continue to enjoy playing out again, especially as a terminal musician. Juggling music, farm and outside work which pays the bills which enables us to play music and keep the farm (and cats) going has kept me more than occupied. May has not been any more conducive to finishing projects at home than April, and I will make no excuses. Things will be done when they will be done. If you are in the area and wish to see me play live, please visit the Performance Schedule page in the ring menu at the top of this post.
For those readers who are new or catching up, do visit the Salmon Brook Farms YouTube channel. Our first Tiny Farm Concerts one song music video was posted at the end of March, 2017. I am 15 years older and a good bit more grey since my first and only CD was released back in 2003, but still in the saddle. It has been an interesting ride, with more to come! Do keep an eye on more content appearing from time to time.
For those who have missed previous posts and wish to view the channel content, here are links to the previous two videos.
The Orchard, our distributor, has placed some of our music from the Keepsake CD on YouTube. Anyone wishing to see the entire track listing and stories behind the songs should visit my personal page under MUSIC in the menu at the top of this post. Depending on what country you live in, the music placed on YouTube by The Orchard may be blocked. Readers can also access some songs from the CD via the old IUMA archive site. See https://archive.org/details/iuma-lavinia_ross
Lavinia and Rick Ross
Salmon Brook Records / Salmon Brook Farms
http://home.earthlink.net/~redwine5
https://salmonbrookfarms.wordpress.com
Oh deer! You can’t blame them for going for those gorgeous, succulent shoots but it is very frustrating. We luckily don’t have many deer round here but we more than make up for them by the quantity of snails. They can strip a vine considerably faster than you would think 😉
Your irises are many and splendid. Ours didn’t do much this year. It’s been a warm and wet start which should be good for everything but there was a sudden and heavy hail storm at a rather important time for the grapes. We’ll have to see what damage was done when the grapes start to form.
What a glorious place the House of 40 Paws is. Many cats would fight for a place in the sun there. Lucky seems to make the most of every opportunity.
Seems like spring is stretching you thin. Enjoy the music. Our jazz season is about to start and we’re girding our loins for the work involved.
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Always good to see you, Annie! Thanks for stopping by. So you have an armada of snails in the vineyard? We don’t see many snail, but do see slugs, many of them non-native. Usually they don’t go after the vines, thank goodness!
Hail is something we are in fear of here. It does so much damage. We were hit hard by a June hailstorm a few years back. Vineyard and garden were set back.
Our friends M & J have the olive farm, and olive farm cats, over in Sicily. Even they are beginning to lose track of how many paws there are. 🙂 Lucky was very lucky to have been found by our friend M on the street. She saw him struggling, and stopped to rescue him.
Wish I could stop by and listen to your jazz series in the vineyard. Yes, this season is stretching us all thin!
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Hi Lavinia! Thank you so much for another great post. Always love to read about what’s happening at the Farm and wondering what the Resident Feline Correspondent Mr. Nano has to say…
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Always good to see you Herman and Mr. Bowie! Thank you for stopping by from Belgium. I took another photo of the cherry tree garden when the irises were at their peak. It is filling in nicely, and more to be added every year. Mr. Nano sends a big “Meow” back to his Belgian brother Mr. Bowie. They would have much to talk about over catnip. 🙂
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Hi there __ I bought some iris bulbs and then Tropical Storm Albert started coming and I think they got water soaked, but my new hydrangea is blooming in blues and purples and looking great!
Tell Rick, if he wants air and photo time on this site, he needs to share some of his recipes. Was the radish leaves his?
Always good to see Lucky out in the field getting the scoop!
You take care, Lavinia and thanks for all your wonderful reading at my site, your talented posts here AND for growing Michael’s Tree!!!
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Always good to see you, GP, and thanks for stopping by! Your irises may be alright unless they got some kind of fungal rot from the water. I have been thinking of getting a hydrangea for here. They are beautiful!
The radish recipe comes from our friends M & J in Sicily who have the olive farm, and olive farm cats. I will get the recipe for you from M. She is an excellent cook. And old Lucky does so well for being blind. He has not let that stop him, and his human father says his attitude can be insufferable at times, sitting on J.’s neck while he is working at the computer. 🙂
Rick is a mighty good cook (he likes to eat), and always happy to share what he knows. 🙂
I am honored to have Micheal’s tree growing here. He was a handsome young man, so full of life and promise. We feel your loss, GP. I feel like I knew him somehow.
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Thank you for all your kind answers. Yes, Michael was a character, even his Captain described him that way. Never talked much, but always had that sly grin that made you wonder what he was up to or what he knew hat you didn’t!!
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Someday you will have to tell us more stories about him, GP! 🙂
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GP, here is the radish leaves recipe from our friends in Sicily. “M” says she makes it this way.
http://www.italianfoodforever.com/2009/01/bietole-al-saltate/
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The irises are a joy to behold, and it’s lovely to have such interesting updates from such communicative and expressive felines.
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Always good to see you, Gallivanta. Thank you for stopping by! Irises are indeed a joy to behold. I will let my friends in Sicily know how much you enjoyed their olive farm cat report. 🙂
I love that Maori evening prayer you posted a while back.
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Your iris finally bloomed. They look great. Our mornings have been in the 40’s. It’s nice to hear from the Sicilian Olive Farm cats. That’s great you are getting some music in. I can really relate to “May has not been any more conducive to finishing projects at home than April…” It seems everyday life just gets in the way of everyday life these days. It’s like inverting track A that cancels out the vocals, so many aspects of everyday life seem to just cancel each other out.
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Always good to see you, Tim! Thanks for stopping by! Yes, we are stretched a little thin here these days. This weekend I am going to have to shift some other projects up to the top of the list and get back to working on those. “Everyday life getting in the way of everyday life” is so true! 🙂
Your roses look wonderful! And for readers, here is the link to the 5th annual Corrales Rose Society Dr. Huey tour.
http://photos.tandlphotos.com/blog/2018/5/fifth-annual-corrales-rose-society-dr-huey-tour
All the best to you,Laurie and Tristan, and all the critters.
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It’s always a pleasure to read your posts and find out how each season proceeds at the farm, Lavinia. And of course I always enjoy hearing from Resident Special Correspondent Nano! Those iris are spectacular! I adore iris and ours have bloomed and moved along, so I’m glad I can enjoy yours here today.
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Always good to see you, Catwoods! Thanks for stopping by and for the kind comments. The seasons here all have their own story to tell, and every year it is different.
Glad you enjoyed the iris. Irises do quite well in this climate, and are not usually subject to deer attacks or affected by our cool, wet winter weather.
Mr. Nano sends his regards to you and Ultraviolet. 🙂
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It was very enjoyable reading and I’m glad that you had a good May! The iris are gorgeous and well photographed, and I love your music! Thank you for your post.
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Welcome aboard, Montucky. Thanks for stopping by, and for all the kind comments! Thank you for listening to the music and I am glad it was enjoyable. 🙂
May has been a good month, and plenty busy. Over the last (almost) 15 years we have been here I have been getting more plantings in of various things. Irises do quite well in this climate, and are not usually subject to deer attacks or affected by our cool, wet winter weather. We don’t get much snow in our part of western Oregon, but it sure is rainy in winter. Sage I have trouble with, although it was hardy perennial in Connecticut. Too wet in winter for it here.
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Your irises are really lovely, the deer a little less so. I hope that your grapes ripen in peace.
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Always good to see you, Mr. Tootlepedal. Thanks for stopping by from Scotland! I love irises, and they generally do well in this climate and are not usually victims of deer attacks. I hope the grapes can ripen in peace without deer or hailstorms this summer.
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I saw my first purple Columbine on a recent trip to Wales. They are charming!
Anyway, I hope you get some rain before your plants get really stressed out.
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Always good to see you Helen! Thanks for stopping by! The purple columbine are good self seeders, and are establishing themselves here now.
May has been unusually cool and dry. Friends in Corvallis said they got 45 minutes of rain today. We got a few sprinkles at home, and about 10 minutes of rain up in Jefferson where I was working today.
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Our rain was just a few sprinkles… Here’s to some rain in June!
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I love the idea of irises as the Marilyn Monroe of flowers. Ye, they are! As for the deer, it seems nobody escapes some sort of depredation–whether rabbits or rats or squirrels, birds or deer. I hope they lay off soon. Do you use capsaicin? And I love the report from the olive farm! What an enterprising correspondent.
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Always good to see you, Arlingwoman! Thank you for stopping by! Yes, everyone must eat, and what is one critter’s restaurant is some other critter’s treasured resource. 🙂 I believe capsaicin is one of the ingredients in Deer Off.
I’ll be sure to let our friends M &J know you loved the report from their olive farm. Yes, their cat Lucky is an interesting and enterprising soul. 🙂
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Busy, happy life! And a beautiful setting. I just noticed the first of our irises, too, and columbine in strange, unexpected places, although ours is pink. The photos of Sicily are stunning–just as I imagined it would look–and what an abundance of cats they have–all lucky, especially Lucky! I applaud your attitude about getting projects finished–all in due time . . .
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Alays good to see you, Kerry, and thanks for stopping by. I would love some pink columbine too! They do seem to come up in strange unexpected places.
Our friends M & J live in such a beautiful place. We have tasted their olive oil, and it is delicious! Being in a rural area, animals seem to find them. It’s hard keeping track of so many paws. 🙂
I have many unfinished projects. The pressing ones seem to find their way to the top of the pile. 🙂
I’ll be by to visit soon as see what you have been up to. Another blog you may want to visit is Ruit Farm. Nancy Ruit does a lot of spinning and weaving.
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Exceptional photos of those Irises, especially the first one. As for deer, they can be a major nuisance. Fortunately there are none in our immediate area.
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Always! good to see you, Jason! Thanks for stopping by from gardeninacity.wordpress.com
Those deer can sure be a nuisance, even when they don’t like a particular plant. I have seen them pull them up and drop them. They did that with some of my thyme plants one year. There is a wooded patch in the back where they hang out, waiting with knives and forks. 🙂
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A beautifully tranquil visit Lavinia. On my walk today I saw lots of irises, mainly yellow flag but some stinking iris too. There’s a single spot I knew where a patch of columbine grows, it is a beautiful bloom.
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Always good to see you, Andrea! Thank you for stopping by from harvestinghecate.wordpress.com
I had to look up stinking iris (Iris foetidissima), as I had not heard of that one before. Thank you for that! I learned about a new plant today.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_foetidissima
Columbine has beautiful leaves as well as flowers, and seems to be relatively drought resistant. It is doing well here. Another reader mentioned pink ones, which I would like have here as well.
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Given that the past month was one of “those” months, I didn’t even comment on your last posting. So, in a burst of enthusiastic commitment, here I am — and it’s always such a joy to follow the goings-on at your place, and the reports from the feline correspondents. Your irises are beautiful, and I was surprised by the purple columbine. I saw my first this year, but they were yellow (or yellow and red) and I had no idea they come in other colors. They’re quite beautiful.
The past week or so, I’ve been traveling in the midwest, and so have had the opportunity to see some things I usually don’t: like peonies, and cherry trees already bearing fruit. Of course, I recognized those, but there were other plants that await identification before I can post their pretty pictures — although one is a wild rose that was spreading across a native prairie. The “right time, right place” adage certainly applied there!
As for deer, I had a different sort of close encounter of the deer kind while driving through Arkansas’s Ouachita mountains. I’m accustomed to deer crossing the road in front of me, but I’m not used to being able to make eye contact with one while it’s crossing! It was a little too close for my taste (and presumably for the deer’s) but no damage was done, and I got to see a beautiful creature in full, close flight, so all is well.
I hope your June is a good one, with some of that rain you need. It’s August-hot here, but we’ll cope.
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Always good to see you, Linda! Thank you for stopping by, and for the kind comments. Yes, May was one of “those” months, and June is looking like it will be much better for me. I am far behind on many endeavors.
I would love some red, yellow and pink columbine in the garden too. Once it gets established, it shows up everywhere. I have several peonies here I planted a few years ago, but only one of them is blooming. The others seem to want a new location, so I will have to dig them up and find a better spot for them. Perhaps they may spend a year or two in pots.
Deer do some very strange things. Both Rick and I have been eye to eye with them, and have had at least one run into the side of the vehicle. The most bizarre deer encounter I have heard of was from a friend back in Connecticut. A deer crossed a four lane divided highway and ran into a car dealership, ending its journey by running directly into the car of customer who had brought their vehicle in for its first oil change. I wonder how the hapless customer explained that one to their insurance company.
August-hot already in your area? I have been through Texas in August, many years ago, and found it quite hot then. I think our own fire season may start early here. It is drying out too early in our part of western Oregon. All the best to you, and I will visit your blogs soon.
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I just love your descriptions of weather and cloud formations, Lavinia! The iris are beautiful too and it’s good to see a couple of photos of Rick. I enjoyed Lucky’s report from Sicily and seeing all those cats packed into boxes!
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Always good to see you, Clare! Thank you for stopping by and for all the kind comments. Weather is one thing I keep a close eye on here, and with the panoramic views, I can see it coming a long way off. Cloud watching is a favorite activity of mine.
Rick generally does not like to be photographed, and I have to catch him out in the vineyard or gardens. 🙂
I loved those photos M. sent me of cats in boxes! I’ll let her know how much you enjoyed Lucky’s report. She also sent me the recipe for the radish leaves. She makes it this way.
http://www.italianfoodforever.com/2009/01/bietole-al-saltate/
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Thank you for the link! That looks delicious!
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You are welcome! 🙂
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May : Iris ‘ month. the big yellow is remarkable but the others blues ones are beautiful too. The fruits trees are producing young fruits . HAVE YOU NEED TO TREAT YOUR TREES AGAINST THE INSECT WHICH ATTACK THE FRUITS,?
the deer destroy a part of your roses and table grapes . if I remember you need to protect your vineyard .
I liked as usual , Lavinia, your description very imaged of the state of the sky and clouds of various sorts . In April we had the drought with rarely violent thunder rain All of this do not improve the soil that is compact. Hard to workit principall y because of my fistula that I have to take care .
Love ❤
Michel
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Always good to see you, dear Michel! Thank you for stopping by and for all the kind comments.
We don’t use any insecticides here. Our main problems are frosts in spring and drought in summer. Last year it was so hot and dry the apples did not do much, and dropped early. The deer are a real problem, and the pinot vineyard is behind 8 foot high (2.43 meter) deer fencing. The table grapes are exposed,but we spray the early foliage and shoots with “Deer Off”, a commercial mixture of garlic, hot peppers and rotten eggs. It looks like our drought season is starting early this year. It is only early June and the ground is getting dry and hard already.
Take good care of yourself, Michel, and please be careful of that dialysis fistula when you are working in the garden. I saw the conversation with Doug in the comments section. He has many good suggestions, and lots of experience going through dialysis.
Love to you and Janine and the family ❤
Lavinia
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I see that like here the drought tends to dominate in the spring. We had only one day of heavy storm rain and that is all. The clay soil is difficult to work (too hard or too pasty). I do what I can in the garden. Janine takes a good part of it despite his fractured shoulder humerus in January 2017.
Yes the conversation with Doug helps. I spoke to the doctor of dialysis at the Amiens Hospital. He is not a fan of the technical buttonhole. Infection risks too high, he says
Love ❤
Michel
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Normally, the rainy season is October through June, but this month of May has been unusually dry. We also have heavy clay soil, and it is hard to work. Janine is amazing with all that she does! I hope her shoulder is not hurting too much. Please send her my best wishes.
You are in my thoughts and prayers regarding your dialysis procedures. Wishing you all the best!
Love to you and Janine, ❤
Lavinia
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Amazing and lovely meeting here again, your cats fascinating me dear Lavinia. But not only they are, also your farm and flowers and the view of the area…. So beautiful. Thank you for taking me there too 🙂 Do you know dear Lavinia, we have two cats now, one of them is rescued one, his mother left him and we feed him. Thank you, greetings, love, so much love to you all, nia
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Always good to see you, dear Nia! Thank you for stopping by, and for all the kind comments! This month’s cat report was from our friends in Sicily. We have never been there, but would love to visit them on their olive farm. They have taken in many cats and dogs in their area.
So your Ibis cat has a friend now? Thank you for rescuing that other little cat who was abandoned. You are a wonderful person, Nia.
I am way behind with many of you, and will be by to visit your blog soon. This year has been particularly hard. Our Lucio cat goes to the vet this morning. He has some sort of small mammary tumor needing to be looked at. Mammary cancer is common in cats, but rare in males. I am hoping it is just another granuloma, which he is prone to showing up with now and then.
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My love, and my prayers with you dear Lavinia, cats are so lovely but when they have problem I know how hurts us. We send our possitive thoughts to you all there, Love, nia
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Thank you, dear Nia. I will tell little Lucio cat that his Aunt Nia is sending him love and prayers. 🙂 ❤
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Lucio cat just came back from the vet. His doctor aspirated some brown goo, and saw many inflammatory cells. He appears to have some kind of infection, most likely from a scratch to that area from playing rough with one of the other cats. He is on antibiotic now for 10 days. That was good news. It was not cancer, or an eosinophilic granuloma. I feel much relief. He goes back in 10 days for a checkup. 🙂
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Hi Lavinia … what a wonderful iris collection that you have! And I just love purple … Thank goodness we don’t have to worry about deer. Mind you I did find wild turkeys in my veg garden the other morning. Oh dear me! Doesn’t Rick look happy .. Love the Sicilian feline update. Oh that blind kitty is just amazing .. bless! And those photos are all super! Great post Miss 😃
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Always good to see you Julie, and thanks for stopping by from Frog Pond Farm in New Zealand, and for all the kind comments! The irises are beautiful in May, and I look forward to them every year.
We have wild turkeys around here too, but have not seen one in the vineyard, yet. I’ve been told they can strip the vines of fruit rather quickly.
Rick was very happy with his plant starts!They went in a little too soon, though. We had a near freeze morning, and the peppers and one tomato were displeased. Happily, I have reinforcements ready to plant. 🙂
I will let M & J know how much you enjoyed Lucky’s update. We’re always happy to have him weigh in from time to time.
All our best to you and your family, Julie! 🙂
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Glad to hear Lucio is recovering – they can be a worry when they are ill.
The farm always looks good, but with the addition of irises (my favourite flower) it is truly beautiful.
Lucky is a brave cat – even with my sight I wouldn’t fancy climbing to the top of an olive tree like that! 🙂
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Always good to see you, Quercus, and thanks for stopping by from England! Lucio gave us some worry for a bit there, but he is doing well on the antibiotics nows and should fully recover. I am glad it was not mammary cancer, which I have read is the 3rd leading cancer in cats, but rare in males.
Irises are such beauties! I acquired a few more over the weekend, and they are sitting in a pot right now until I can decide where to put them. One can never have enough irises.
Lucky was a very lucky cat to have our friend M. find him on the street. He has adapted beautifully to farm life and seems to have more than compensated for his lack of vision.
Give our best to Julia, and thanks again for visiting!
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I was sitting by a pond in the sun today, watching wagtails and yellow flag irises. Just needed a cat to achieve perfection.
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That sounds like a beautiful, tranquil way to spend the day. A cat would indeed be perfection! 🙂 I’ll be over to have a look at your post.
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I haven’t actually written about it yet. I’m soooo relaxed…
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Just stopped by and found it. That is a beautiful rose photo, too!
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🙂
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Summer is arriving it seems. Here it brings heat and humidity (we already experienced a heat index of 105 degrees F!). Please blow over some cooler air our way and I will blow sunshine your way 😀
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Always good to see you, Anarette! Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll be glad to send you some of the cooler air! The lack of rain is beginning to worry us, as it has been unusually dry for May. Fire season may come a month early.
Please give Benji and Mrs. Zulu a scratch behind the ears for me. 🙂
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Will give them some scratching behind the ears 😀 and I will send some rain your way once we get it. A
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Good morning Lavinia, What a beautiful red rose! (last photo), and Marilyn never looked lovelier. I am just amazed by Lucky the blind cat making his way through the olive trees – they say when you lose one sense, the others become more highly developed. That seems to be the case with him. Or maybe he was a tightrope walker in another life! The Sicilian vistas are lovely. Enjoy your June! Jeanne
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Always good to see you, Jeanne, and thanks for stopping by and for the kind comments! Yes, Lucky seems to have developed his other senses with time. When our friend M.found him on the street many years ago, he was falling off curbs and bumping into things. His eyes were badly infected and needed removal.
The irises have finished, and our roses are all in bloom now. I loved the little spider hiding in there! Enjoy your June, too, my friend. 🙂
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I thoroughly enjoyed your post and the photos. Those iris are wonderful. I lost my irises last winter and did not get any this year. Instead I planted some hyacinths and they were wonderful, pretty blue and fragrant. Sorry about your deer problem. So far deer has not found my place yet. They have been to the other side of the lake from us. They love roses and that is a bit worrisome for me. I planted a grapevine this year and it will be interesting to see what happens. It took a while for it to leaf out. I envy you with your big place and so beautiful. Love you description about the place and the weather and the feline correspondent and its report.
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Always good to see you, Rosalinda! Thank you for stopping by and for all the kind comments!
I love hyacinths, too, and have some blue and pink ones growing in a barrel planter. You are lucky the deer have not found you. They love roses,and can severely nip them back. I love your collection of roses and all the beautiful photos of them and descriptions on your site. I will be catching up with your other blog on the Philippines and history shortly.
Grape vines are generally quite hardy and tough to kill. If it is one of the Vitus vinifera grapes, they are subject to Phylloxera.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylloxera
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I am very glad to hear that you are playing out again, dear Lavinia. Your talent and storytelling are a joy.
And your pix in this post: where does one begin? Oh, the irises, of course. Such gorgeous flowers. and the columbines. And the views from the farm (including Rick of course) and the Sicilian countryside — including Mr. Lucky of course — and the others too.
I’m wishing your vines an “uneventful summer and good grape” harvest too!
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Always good to see you, Cynthia! Thanks for stopping by and all the kind comments. Summer is life in the fast lane here, especially this year.
Irises grace the month of May here. All have passed by now, but we still have those photos to remember them by. Some of them are reblooming irises, and it is possible we will see them again in early fall before the weather gets too cold and wet. They do not like summer heat!
We were a bit worried yesterday when a large storm front came through, dropping heavy rain. Fortunately, we did not get hail, which has set us back in some past years. We are looking forward to the rest of summer being “uneventful”, and a good grape harvest.
All the best to you and your family, dear friend!
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The feline sicilian correspondent made a rich report .I enjoyed the Lavender which I have not in my garden . But I have sage very visited by bumblebees.
I learn how to cook Spinaciola
At last the Sulla , fixing the nitrogen is new also for me .
Thanks blind cat you are a true teacher in science
Thank Lavinia to report the report .
Love ❤
Michel
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Thank you, Michel! I will tell Mr. Lucky cat and our friends in Sicily how much you enjoyed his report! Lucky is a true teacher, and manages quite well even though he is blind.
I have one lavender plant here, but have had trouble growing sage. It dies back after a year, possibly to to phytophthora in the soil with out wet autumn, winter and spring conditions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytophthora
Love to you and Janine, ❤
Lavinia
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Michel – a reply to you from Lucky the blind cat and his cat mother, my friend M. over in Sicily.
“Thank you Michel. Lucky is happy to share his kitty wisdom with his like minded friends.”
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This is kind ,Lucky
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Hi Lavinia. How beautiful Salmon Brook Farms is in the spring! I do love irises and yours are gorgeous. I enjoyed all the photos and all the kitties.
Crystal seems to be adapting to her new regimen of prescription food and monthly shots. She sends a purr to all the cats. Love and hugs to you and yours.
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Teagan, I am glad to see you, and as always, thanks for stopping by! I just got back from harp guitar retreat. I just found you in the SPAM filter, and am sorry you have sat in there. I have no idea why you ended up in there. Thank you so much for the kind comments, and it is good to hear Crystal is doing well on the new regimen.
The June post is late, and I hope to get it out this week. Much love, hugs and purrs back to to you both.
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No worries, Lavinia. I took my frying pan so the spammers would know that I might just turn them into lunch. 😉
Yesterday Crystal had the appointment for her next (monthly) steroid shot — and the vet said she no longer needs them. She’s still on the prescription food, but she hates it… So Not sure if I will be able to keep a healthy weight on her.
Have a very happy Fourth of July. Hugs!
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And a happy Fourth of July back to you, too, Teagan and Crystal!
We are having trouble keeping weight on Willow now, as her kidneys are going. She is roughly in the neighborhood of 22 years old, as best we can tell. I’m doing her pee towel laundry twice a day at this point, and going through a lot of doggie pee pads.
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Oh isn’t your Marilyn perfect! Blonde, beautiful but a little blousy and over the top;-) Must look for a bulb for next summer. Glad to see that you and Rick are keeping busy but happy.
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Always good to see you! Thanks for stopping by from Canada, and for the kind comments! Those reblooming iris are also scented. I caught Marilyn in juts the right lighting. She is a beauty!
Life is running at a good clip here this summer, and my June post is way behind. I hope to get it out this week, but it may piggyback onto July’s post at the end of the month.
Best to you and your family, Ivy and Romy.
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Lavinia i wrote this comment in your tubre for Remembered Goodbyes in You Tube . I have appreciated the good harmony of the sounds.
Love ❤
Michel
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Thank you so much for listening, Michel!
I am late with my June post due to all the work here. I will include June along with July at the end of this month.
Love to you and the family, ❤
Lavinia
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I hope by now you’ve gotten the rain you need. In Austin we’re grateful for the rain that’s coming down even as I type this.
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Always good to see you, Steve! Thank you for stopping by from portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com
Summer is our normal drought period, with little to no rain from July though late September or early October. This year it has started earlier than usual. We are still getting some cloudy and cool mornings, today being one of them, which helps a lot. Glad you are getting rain down there in Austin!
My June post will be out as part of July at the end of the month. It’s been hard to keep up with everyone this season, including myself! I’ve often wished I could run myself through the copy machine. 🙂
Readers, please visit Steve at portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com for some very beautiful photos and commentary on wildflowers and scenic places around the world.
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So I’ve taken a time machine back to spring on the farm 😀 Such a beautiful time of year, full of hope for the approaching summer season. I love Iris and Day Lily even though they’re so short lived. I enjoyed guest correspondent Lucky and the photo’s of other correspondents at the Olive Farm. What a lovely place to scratch in the sand x k
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Always good to see you, Boomdee, thanks for stopping by and the kind comments! May and early June were lush and green here, and full of flowers. I didn’t post in June as too many things were going on, including harp guitar retreat. Yes, is is unfortunate iris are so short lived, and in this hot weather now, the rebloomers don’t like to bloom again. The last of the wild orange daylilies have passed, but I still have a few other kinds of daylilies going, as well as some tiger lilies.
I will let our friends M & J know how much you love our guest correspondents, the Sicilian olive farm cats. 🙂 There are so many paws there now, I can’t keep track of them. 🙂
All the best to you there in Canada, my friend! The cats and crew here send their warmest regards to you, your husband and kitties.
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