Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Tuesday, - Errands - White Hesperis

We finally have a pretty day and we spend it on errands!

Actually it was so wet and cold outside, I would have had to wait until late afternoon anyway, but the errands took so long I was pooped and am done for the day.

Visits were involved......with relatives........... My aunt who is in her mid-80's lives alone and does everything herself but is getting less competent each year. This spring's problem is she can't use a hand pump to air up her lawn mower tires. Finally a neighbor brought down his air compressor and did it for her. We bought her a small portable air tank, filled it with air and took it to her today. I am sure the neighbor will have to show her again how to use it even though we went through the steps with her. She only drives locally to the gas station, Wal-Mart and a local hardware. She also won't pay anyone to do anything if at all possible. I give her a few days before she calls and "it won't work" will be the message.

Next we visited DH's folks...all good there.

On the way home we stopped at our local market for just a few items....
By the time I put things away, I was as tired as if I had worked outside all day.

I did find some broccoli plants....my seed never germinated after two attempts. I picked up a real rain gauge and another hummingbird feeder. I may plant something in my green painted coffee can (the old gauge).

When I went out the take care of the chickens, I noticed a very pleasant smell around the patio area. At last I can smell the white hesperis! It reminds me of flowering apple trees, a faint cinnamon smell, not heavy but very nice. I couldn't detect an scent last year. This plant grows differently than the purple one. It makes a clump or rosette that gets about 12 to 15 inches wide at the base before sending up the flower stalks. I believe the flower heads are larger too. Also it seems to be a much stronger self-seeder and just a more vigorous plant.

From gardening Spring 2011



This is the purple one for comparison. I like it too and hope to save seeds from the very few plants I have left this year.


I planted this one right by the patio and back door in front of the pink Aloha rose, the Back Porch Corner Bed. There are several plants there now. I also have a small border of them going from self-seeding back by the white clematis 'Huldine'. There was just one plant there last year.

I hope tomorrow is an 'outdoor' day for me.

4 comments:

  1. That sounds like such a pleasant smell, Glenda! You certainly have you hands full...rest now and then! I've missed you!...:)JP

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  2. Talk about coincidence. What with my recent rotator cuff tear and my gamey ankle, I can no longer use either the foot or hand pump to fill my mower, wagon, cart, etc. with air. My neighbor filled them all with an air tank filled from his compressor. I'm thinking of getting a tank and fill it at a gas station. I can only find 10-gallon ones, though, and they are too heavy for me. I need to find a 5-gallon one.

    I hope that I get a lot of white from my Dame's rocket sprouts. Once they bloom I'm going to sort out and clump together the different colors. Looking forward to such a nice fragrance as you describe.

    Only 37 this morning. And windy. And dark. This weather is really getting me down. You'd think it was still winter by how often the dang furnace keeps coming on. *sigh*

    Loved the pics of your kitchen gear. And I'm green with envy for that stove! :-D

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  3. Now I have to have a white Hesperis! That is just lovely and anything that has fragrance is so wonderful. So little sunshine, my seeds aren't doing so well either. Will be ever get some warm temperatures? Typical Ozark spring, I complain every year! So good you are close to help out with your folks, they need us even if they won't admit it! I am off to the grocery store and I'm getting a late start...means dinner won't be on time either!

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  4. So nice of you to make the rounds for the family. It's a blessing to have them so close.

    The Hesperis sounds wonderful!

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