” Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty believe in them and try to follow where they lead. “
~Louisa May Alcott
My goodness it has been awhile since I last wrote a blog post…..2 months to be exact. I had intended to post again in September, but life has a way of taking us by the hand and leading us where we must go. At least it has been that way for me of late. I even missed my Blog Anniversary. It was 8 years ago, September 13th, that I started this blog. I cannot believe it myself. And I do fully intend to keep blogging. In fact I have missed it greatly. And thank you to all who left comments on my last post. I was unable to reply, but fully intend to soon.
I only started back in my garden about 2 weeks ago and have weeded the front beds which are greatly overgrown We also took down the veg gardens as we had our first frost and freeze. And we planted garlic and mulched the veg beds. Once I finish up the front gardens, I will work slowly through the 2 side gardens.
As I said in my last post, I have too much garden and not enough me to take care of them anymore. But before winter hits, I need to get some order and control of the beds that can be easily seen from the road. The tangled mess of the back gardens will wait.
I am not sure how much time I have left before winter will start (we saw our first snow flakes yesterday). And we can see significant accumulating snow as early as late October. I am holding out for winter to start in December to give me another month to work outside. And yes I am taking it easy as my body will revolt if I don’t.
In upcoming posts, I promise to show you what happened in the garden this past summer and my progress this fall. I will have more blogger interviews too….look for one next Monday. And as I figure them out, I will show you my plans for reducing the gardens to make them more manageable for this aging gardener.
One thing I did do all summer and fall was to continue making vases. I have joined in with Cathy@Rambling in the Garden for her wonderful meme, In A Vase on Monday, for several years. It is a great way for me to stay connected to my garden even when I cannot work in it.
I love cutting fresh flowers and bringing them indoors. This sweet vase is simply zinnia, marigolds and a morning glory I had growing from seed in my containers and beds.
A perfect vase for a simple fall display. As always, the pictures shared here were created with my iPod Touch camera and two free apps, Pixlr and Prisma.
Now let’s get to the giveaway……
As I wrote in my last blog post, I was contacted by the Four Roses Bourbon Company to help get the word out about their new anniversary rose, developed by Jackson Perkins, and appropriately named, Four Roses® Anniversary Rose. They are celebrating their 130th Anniversary which is quite a legacy, and quite a story. You can read more about the rose here.
I received my complimentary rose a couple of weeks ago, and have it heeled in waiting for spring and a very special place in my garden. I needed more time for garden clean up, and finding just the right spot for the rose as it will grow to 4 feet by 4 feet. I think I may be able to put it in a prominent place in my front garden once I remove a few more overgrown plants/bushes.
The Four Roses Bourbon Company has also allowed me to giveaway one rose to a lucky winner drawn at random. The rose is hardy to zones 4-10. All you have to do is leave a comment here on the blog….or leave a reply on my Facebook or Instagram page about this giveaway. Unfortunately this giveaway is only open to US residents (except Hawaii because of restrictions). I will announce the winner on this post, FB and IG. Once I have your contact info, Jackson and Perkins will be contacted to send you the free rose at the proper time for planting in your zone, which is likely to be next spring.
Good Luck!! The giveaway closes Thursday October 25th at 5pm EST.
All original content is copyrighted and the sole property of Donna Donabella @ Gardens Eye View, 2010-2018. Any reprints or use of content or photos is by permission only.