"another year over AND a new one just begun . . . " PART TWO-J (December 2012 — January 5, 2013)

Today's entry here on Blogger is part two-J of a series of posts pertaining to a year-end review for special occurrences in my urban garden for the year 2012 (the schedule for this series is described in part one as well as part two-A of this topic), and this particular post is also the conclusion of my series; in it I will be covering the "events" in my garden from December 1st 2012 through January 5th 2013.

The beginning of the month of December 2012 brought with it the return of Cam, my lone female cardinal visitor, who can be seen in the picture — as she appeared upon return — atop today's blog entry.

My Sweet Larix Kaempferi

Douglas William Jerrold, the English dramatist and writer, is reported to have said, "He was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his mistaken passion, he would have held an umbrella over a duck in a shower of rain."

I thought of this quote when I came across one of my favorite strips from Mutts, which I've posted above today's blog entry. As you may recall, dear reader, I am a Mutts fan, and if you want to refer to Blogger entries where I've referenced this fantastic strip, please click here, and you may also click here to "catch" my tumblr post which includes yet another Mutts strip.

My sensibility towards the 80+ things which I grow in my urban (NYC) terrace garden can be quite similar to Jerrold and Mutts; as there are moments when I want to hold an umbrella over some of the things I grow; especially when they are suffering from too much rain; as they did this past May. Too much rain, however, was hardly the issue this past week, as NYC was under a very oppressive heart wave for a number of days, and I wanted to stand in my garden with my umbrella, to give a few of the less heat tolerant things that I grow some shade, as there is nowhere to prop one up, and there is little, if any, shade in my garden.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

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!

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!