Saturday, September 11, 2010

somewhere in Elmhurst

I was in Chicago this weekend with a dual mission. I took my mom to the oncologist on Friday to talk about moving from chemo to radiation. We are all hopeful that the radiation will have a better effect than the chemo. I need to thank everyone who has left a comment on my blog over the summer. I apologize for not responding in kind. I do read all your comments and they bring me the warm feeling of friendship. Pat says I don’t hide my being preoccupied well, and I don’t.

The gardening side of the trip involved digging a peony up. The mother-in-law, Shirley, had a peony that needed a new home. And what better place than our back yard for this peony? A sunny spot opened up where a very large hosta was. I had to move the hosta because of the tilt of the earth, or sun, or maybe it was because a neighbor cut down a rather large tree. The peony had a root ball about 2 feet across. It is a welcome addition to the garden, or will be if it stops raining enough for me to get out and plant it. We’re not having summer rains anymore. There is a chill in the air when it rains now. Do deer eat peonies?

The picture I took is on my way to the mother-in-law's house in Elmhurst. I’ve always wanted to get a shot of it. I love the front yard. When I grow up, I want a front yard just like this.

8 comments:

Is the Wiz said...

Dear Jim,(or should i say Peter Pan) I think the peony will be safe, we have some in the Peace Garden where deer come in. A good tip I was given is to be careful and not plant peonies deeply, or they are slow to come back in to flower.

Anonymous said...

Dear Jim, I was so very sorry to hear of your mother's illness and do hope that the new treatment will bring an improvement in her health.

The advice which Isobel gives about not planting peonies too deeply is something with which I totally concur and, in my experience, is well worth following.

I am sure that your front garden looks equally as good as the one in Elmhurst.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Jim, I had some peonies in my last home that never bloomed. Those little red eyes need to be peeking out of the ground when you plant them.

Eileen

Anonymous said...

I thought the front yard of the home you pictured is really lush with plants. i can see why you wanted a photo. You can't see much of the house though.

The Redneck Rosarian said...

Me too! I love gardens like this, lush and full of blooms.....

Shady Gardener said...

I will add a prayer to those that have been said on behalf of you and your mother.

My sister-in-law lives in Elmhurst. That's quite a front yard... I don't think I'd expect you to trade what YOU and Pat have created, though!

Unknown said...

Jim - what a great front yard, somewhere in Elmhurst! It's inspirational!!

It reminded me of my neighbor (who has been rubber-necking over the fence wondering what I'm up to?. My other neighbor told him I'm replacing ALL my grass with garden ... he freaked! (I love it!)

Lona said...

Hi Jim. I hope that radiation will help your Mom. You have had such a busy summer. I wish we had gotten some of your ran down here. It went all around us and it is so dry.
Wow, what a terrific front yard your mother-in-law has. It is just beautiful. One thing about it the more you plant the less you have to mow Jim. LOL! I tell my son this all of the time. When I grab the shovel he just shakes his head.
That must be one big peony. You will have to show it to all of us next spring.