It’s that time of year again: our first freeze. I knew it was coming all week so I did have time to get ready, but it did take every moment of the week, and I am never really ready.
The first thing was to completely clean out the garden room to make sure it was spider and other-bug free. All the dust, from doors and windows open for the summer, had to be returned to the great outdoors.
Then, the gradual process of trimming plants from the garden, spraying them with horticultural oil, and moving them into the garden room.
Eventually, it turns into a wall of flowers because I can’t seem to let any of them go. Bad enough to say good-bye to those planted in the ground, but if they are in containers, I just can’t resist keeping them.
And I am so excited to have figured out how to hang art on the stucco. The garden room is stuccoed inside and out, and I am afraid of drilling into it. I picture cracks in the walls and splinters of stucco flying through the air. Very scary. So I have yet to hang any of the art I bought especially for that room.
Then I had one of those ideas that causes husbands (even those who aren’t so darned handy themselves) to look at you with *that* look. You know the one I mean.
Anyway, ignoring that input, I used E-6000 to stick metal picture hanger hooks to the stucco. Had to tape them in place until the E-6000 cured. Otherwise, they slid down the wall, leaving snail trails of goo.
I actually had my own doubts about this one – but it worked. By the next day, I could not pull the hooks off the wall and they held the not-so-heavy artwork just fine. . .
This beautiful piece is by Chris Weathers, an amazing paper sculptor who now lives in San Miquel de Allende, Mexico, and does her paper casting on old ruined building walls. We have collected her work for years. This is my fifth piece and it is perfect for a garden room.
I never pick flowers, but last night I thought my Cosmos and Daisies could be lost to frost, so I put a few in vases.
Both the Cosmos and Daisies made it fine through this first freeze, and so did my last couple Hummingbirds, who really should be on their way to Central America by now, but can’t bear to leave the garden. I was so worried about them last evening that I put warm sugar water out in case that would help. We are due for another week of warm weather (at least), so it’s not over yet!
And here is my lovely reading corner with my most precious and prized garden quilt – made for me by Jerrie Hall.
I know the hose is not lovely, but it represents the life blood of the room, and is in constant use, so there is no point in hiding it away. On the shelf above the rocker is my Bose Sound Dock, which turns my iPod into a killer stereo.
Hope I haven’t bored you to death, but this is totally ALL I have done this week, so I thought I would share.
Workshop Announcement . . .
A couple months ago, 34 students took the Travel Journal Workshop, and had a great deal of fun creating their travel journals from trips past, present, or still to come.
Many more folks wanted to sign up, but had scheduling problems.
So, Travel Journaling is now a WHENEVER Workshop. No more scheduling conflicts.
The link for more info in in the sidebar and here:
http://www.dotcalmvillage.net/onlineworkshops/traveljournal.html
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