What FLORA Knows RE Time Passing

Once upon a time I saw a Mary Englebreit greeting card where the text read, "Time flies whether you are having fun or not." And indeed time does fly, calling to my mind, two of my favorite quotes invloving the passing of time.

Dr. Seuss's "How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?," is one of them.

The second quote re time passing that I appreciate is Kermit's quote: "Time is fun when you are having flies." 
For all three of these quotations pay homage to the precious gift of time, and speaking of time, I am well aware of the fact the last time I posted here on Blogger was July 4th 2013, when I announced that I would be back to my posting after the Independence Day weekend, and it is now five days since the end of that holiday weekend! Moreover it  has been nine days, since I took the picture atop today's blog entry (while I was waiting alongside the Hudson River for the Macy's Fireworks to begin). 

The aforementioned image features a view of  the George Washington Bridge which is to the north of where I was standing; and the fireworks would ultimately be ignited from the south of my vantage point. A couple of the fireworks that I saw can be seen in the images below.

Another set of fireworks paid tribute to the planet Saturn, while a different variety reminded viewers that our current time period is considered Christmas in July. (These particular fireworks can be viewed by clicking here and here respectively.)

Re the overall July 4th festivities, I find I don't need annual events such as the Macy's Fireworks, to be a reminder of how "time passes quickly whether you are having fun or not!" 

This is because I have a garden, where every second offers something different that needs to be appreciated or mourned.

For example, the other day, Wednesday, July the Tenth, when Juan V came to work with me in my garden, the flowers from my prickly pear cactus (which he had helped me plant just thirteen days prior) were already gone (due to heavy rainfall) for the season as evidenced in the images below.

FOR IMAGE DETAILS CLICK HERE

FOR IMAGE DETAILS CLICK HERE

However, while some of my flora — such as the prickly's flowers — gave in to the elements, others came back with a vengeance; as if to show how tough they could be when it comes to surviving urban garden life! This is evidenced by the image posted below, which is an aerial view (taken by Juan V) of how my garden looked this past Wednesday.

As you can surmise from this photo, in spite of two weather "traumas" (very heavy rains for a few weeks straight followed by a long heat wave); most all of the flora I grow in my garden are currently thriving.

I have superimposed numbers as well as a circle over the image to indicate some specifics. 

The number one indicates my Sweet Autumn Clematis  which had to be transplanted at the beginning of the spring for 2012. This is a process that can stress a vine, even a hearty one, such as this variety! Then, seven months later this vine had to be uprooted from its new "digs," put into a "body bag" where it was ultimately secured to the railing surrounding my terrace so that the surface of the garden could be replaced! For me to see this Autumn Clematis's awesome foliage — knowing what it went through — is inspiring. 

The number two indicates Fagus sylvatica (AKA Beech Tree) which also is growing quickly after its transplant last spring!

Number 3A through 3C indicates my Actinida kolomikta and Actimida (Kiwi Vines), that endured their own traumas, but you might never have suspected this from seeing the vines here, traveling around the railing which surrounds my terrace garden! But the fact is, after being "attacked" by mildew in the summer of 2011 which resulted in them losing most of their foliage, these vines also had to be transplanted the spring of 2012! And, as I said (when speaking of my autumn clematis), this is a process that can stress a vine, even a hearty one, such as this variety!

Moreover, as was the case with my Autumn Clematis, the kiwi vines had to be uprooted (only five months after being transplanted ) from their new "digs," put into a "body bag" where they were ultimately secured to the railing surrounding my terrace so that the surface of the garden could be replaced! Therefore it has been even more wonderful for me to see the kiwi vines coming back to the fullness of life this season!

Number four indicates a 'Tamukeyama' AKA Japanese Red Maple, which was also affected by the re-surface of my garden's floor, but it did not have to be uprooted and put in body bags like the vines!

However, it did need to be brought into my apartment to accommodate for the terrace's renovation, and for outdoor trees as well as shrubs this "move" can be stressful; and even cause them to die!

The "things" indicated by numbers five and six (my Acer palmatum AKA 'Shisitatsu' Sawa as well as my Avellana corylus AKA Contorted Hazelnut, respectively) also had to be tranplanted in the spring of 2012 — causing them to a struggle a bit — but have come into their own this season! Additionally  the acer and the contorted hazelnut were also affected by the re-surface of my garden's floor, but they did not have to be uprooted and put in body bags like the vines!

And as was the case with my Japanese Maple, both of these shrubs had to be brought into my apartment to accommodate for the terrace's renovation, and for outdoor trees as well as shrubs this "move" can be stressful; and even cause them to die!

Numbers seven and eight indicate my Paeonia suffruiticosa (AKA Tree Peony) as well as my Continus Coggygria (Smokey Bush). Both of them are also doing well, having survived the trauma of living inside during the aforementioned renovation, though neither had to be transplanted. 

Be that as it may, the false-start of 2013's spring with balmy temperatures disrupted by unexpected snow; and then loads of April showers taking away May's flowers was quite hard on my peony as you may recall from a previous posting here on Blogger.

None of the aforementioned traumas of urban garden living deterred the newcomers (indicated by the circle) to my garden! For the newbies, a few Echinacea plants, which Juan V planted (at the base of my urban hedge this past Wednesday) like their comrades which grow here truly live by the adage, "Time flies whether you are having fun or not," and thus get through the upheavals in their lives, inspiring m to try and to the same.

ADDENDUM:

AS OF 2018 MOST OF THE FLORA MENTIONED WITHIN THIS POST IS FEATURED IN MY THREE VOLUME BOOK SERIES, WORDS IN OUR BEAK.

MY BOOK SERIES