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Thursday, May 31, 2012

an UPDATE

Since the beginning of the new year, The Last Leaf Gardener here on blogger has taken a few pauses here and there for various reasons. One was a major computer upset when the mother board to my computer crashed (disrupting my work flow this past March and April) which was discussed by one of my Kauffmaniana tulips in an entry that you may refer to by clicking here.

Another reason for pauses within TLLG's "normal" Blogger schedule is that my content is now being divided between here and nybg's (New York Botanical Gardens) tumblr on a more regular basis. Followers of this blog will know that each Tuesday I have dedicated to "if it's Tuesday it must be tumblr," and I have included links to lead folks to content posted there. Having found that tumblr is a much better venue for visuals, I have been posting more content there, thus having to rethink what the plan is for TLLG on Blogger; in other words, I have been pausing for station identification and appreciate your bearing with me as I sort this out.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

If it's Tuesday, it must be tumblr . . . Week No. 22 — But first a word from Dr. Seuss . . .

"On the 15th of May, in the jungle of Nool,
In the heat of the day, in the cool of the pool,
He was splashing…enjoying the jungle’s great joys…
When Horton the elephant heard a small noise.

So Horton stopped splashing. He looked towards the sound.
“That’s funny,” thought Horton. “There’s no one around.”
Then he heard it again! Just a very faint yelp
As if some tiny person were calling for help.
“I’ll help you,” said Horton. “But who are you? Where?”
He looked and he looked. He could see nothing there
But a small speck of dust blowing past though the air."

Ah, another Tuesday is upon us! And, if you follow this blog you know, if it's Tuesday, it must be tumblrbut today is not just any Tuesday: Today, is May the 15th, an important day in the jungle of Nool, as evidenced in the text posted above written by Dr. Seuss, an author I have referred to a number of times here on TLLG, including an entry you may refer to by clicking here.

And, if you aren't taking a trip to the jungle of Nool, here's a link to all of my posts on nybg's tumblr — they're really cool.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Singing in the Rain

Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The book includes hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.  Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The book includes hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.  Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

What remains from my glorious H.F. Clematis flowers are singing in the rain, and I've featured a couple of them in the images posted above this entry, as well as on nybg's (New York Botanical Gardens) tumblr. This vine's flowers —  no matter what state of growth they are in — always add ambiance to my urban (NYC) garden as evidenced by the number of blog posts that feature them on TLLG, including one that you may refer to by clicking here.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Mother's Day 2012

I have done volunteer work nearly every Sunday since 2003 (or has it been since 2002) at an assisted living center, a fact I've mentioned a few times here on TLLG (including a post which you may refer to by clicking here), and since today is Mother's Dayall the residents of The Home wished me a Happy Mother's Day today, knowing I am not a mother of any children, although sometimes growing up I felt like a mother to my own mother, as you may recall in one of my past  blog entries here on TLLG — which you may refer to by clicking here

On my way home, I ran into a young woman who asked me, "Are you a mother?" 

Saturday, May 12, 2012

A Tarda's Lesson

Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The book includes hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.  Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11
Hello there, sweet pod
I have been missing the beautiful blooms from all my tulips, as they had such a brief stay in my urban (NYC) garden this season which was due to the heavy rainfalls we have had in the city this year. And, as I type this text, I am thinking who cares if I am missing my tulips? 

Blogging can be so narcissistic, which is one reason that I've been more sporadic in posting here on TLLG; but more regular on nybg's tumblr and  TLLG's Facebook's Page.

On the other hand, if you, dear reader, find yourself missing the blooms from the flowers in your garden or the flowers in public spaces in the area where you live, I am here to tell you that you are not alone: take heart in knowing that there is plenty of beauty to behold in what remains, as my Tulipia Tardas reminded me when I discovered their leaves still playing with the pods, long after the flowers were gone.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!


Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The book includes hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.  Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

It is a special Friday in my urban (NYC) garden, and one of my Heirloom Original Poet Daffodils is looking forward to a week-end where no rain is predicted!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

H.F. Clematis Flower Teams Up With 'Mindia'

Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in a rooftop urban garden in New York City, my story is told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The book includes hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.  Now in Apple’s iBooks store @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/words-in-our-beak/id1010889086?mt=11

As one of the many, many purple flowers (seen here — without my other H.F. comrades — in the left portion of the image above this blog entry, an image you may recognize from Youngquist's post on nybg — New York Botanical Gardens' tumblr) that belong to the H.F. Young Clematis Family, a vine which grows in Youngquist's (your blogger) urban (NYC) garden, I am thrilled to be here today to assist in authoring this post on TLLG.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

April (and now May) Showers Take Away Flowers!


During a weather broadcast yesterday, May 8th 2012, the meteorologist pointed out that out of the first eight days of May, it has rained for six of them! Today is the ninth of May, and it's raining again. Moreover, it has rained heavily almost every day since April 21st 2012! Admittedly, it has not quite been the "40 days and 40 nights" of Noah's Ark, and, admittedly, the rain is very good for our reservoirs, but to some extent, all this rainfall has caused some angst amongst the things I grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden, hence (since this blog is mostly about life in my garden) my lack of regularity in posting here on TLLG (although you can always find me on nybg's — New York Botanical Gardens — tumblr, Pinterest, and my Facebook Page for The Last Leaf Gardener).

Yesterday morning, Juan V came over to work in my urban (NYC) terrace garden with me, and fortunately we accomplished what we needed to do there before heavy rainfall began again. He was even able to do an "aerial" photo-op for me which is posted above, and, from the look of things, you might surmise that all is lush and thriving, and you may even find yourself wondering, what the hell is TLLG talking about re garden angst!

Monday, May 7, 2012

NUMBER 1977


Once again I want to thank The Achilles Club in New York City for making it possible for me to participate in the Five Boro Bike Tour. This was the fourth year that I've taken part in this awesome event with Achilles and the image posted with this narrative shows yours truly with my captain at the start line of the Five Boro Tour.

I rode as Santa and she was a reindeer. Her "hanger" antlers brought a lot of comments about "the reception" she must've been getting, which had us laughing all the way . . .