Break in the Rain.

6-28-13 VERMONT: Yesterday was fairly dry. We had lunch at the 232 Café in South Strafford with old friend Ned. [I had a knock-your-socks-off grilled cheese.] The Café is by far the best dining in South Strafford.

After lunch and a visit to Ned’s gardens, we stopped at Brown’s Nursery for some perennials to add to the fringe around the pond.

We used to mow to the edge of the pond, but last year the pond consultant suggested leaving a fringe of un-mowed grass around the edge to reduce the amount of organic waste in the pond, prevent erosion and to provide shelter for the frogs. Now we have lots of different grasses growing there plus volunteer flowers including forget-me-not, Indian paintbrush and bedstraw. I added six Astilbe at the water side, ‘Key West’, ‘Alive and Kicking’, ‘Younique Carmine’, ‘Peach Blossom’, ‘Cattleya’, and ‘Milk and Honey’. I put one yarrow, Achillea Millefolium, ‘Saucy Seduction’ higher up the bank with the astilbe. In a better-drained area, I added three poppies, Papaver orientale, ‘Queen Alexandre’, ‘Prince of Orange’ and P. nudicaule, ‘Champagne Bubbles’. Also in the afternoon, I pruned some roses and apple trees and planted a Hesperis matronalis, ‘Dame’s Rocket’ in the bed by the road.

By evening it was raining again, rained all night and left us with 1.8 inches by noon today. I emptied the boat and rain gauge once again today.

New blooms: water lily, fever few, first phlox.


Ned's beautiful house and gardens.

Vermont residents working in the gardens.

This White Admiral was taking a break on our window.