I did a lot of stuff for myself, and one thing was to fix up my terrace even more. I'd planted a bunch of plants back in May when it got nicely warm, but then Mom Nature thought she'd have the last laugh, and we had one more hurrah of cold, damp weather that killed off most of what I planted -- all except for the geraniums.
I'd planned to do just geraniums as they forgive you for dry soil, wet soil, colder weather, hot weather and so on...they're quite hearty. My terrace gets sun in the morning, but not too much, so I have to be careful with what I choose. Geraniums seem to also like it out there, as much as they like direct sunlight.
Plus they weather through the winter nicely if I remember to cluster everyone against a corner of my terrace and then wrap them with clear plastic. I usually do that in October -- and then step out once a month or so and give them a good watering.
I have a lovely view, too, of a wonderful garden a downstairs neighbor keeps up, and has done so for nearly fifteen years. It stretches down to the end of the building to the left (about two aparments in length), and then about three times that (or more!) to the right. Linda had cancer last year, and so I helped her by watering her plants a few times during the summer months; it took a total of about 3 hours over two nights each time! She also recruited the help of a local garden club, who came in and put it "to bed" when Fall began rolling into winter.
She's doing much better (all in the clear), and I've been glad to see her poking around out there in the afternoons and evenings.
The jasmine I put out on my terrace smells beautiful, and the sound of my new kapiz windchimes is lovely as well. I actually finally did something I've been meaning to do for the last 3-4 years, and that's to hang all my windchimes from hooks along the edge of the ceiling (the bottom of the upstairs terrace), as they never seemed to chime much from the hooks along the walls, even though they stuck out. They've been much more active as well.
I also got a new hummingbird feeder, as the red glass globe one I had seemed to frustrate the humming birds that would stop by -- my father said he'd noticed that the holes for their tongues weren't as large as the ones in the cheaper / classic-style ones that look like a jar with yellow flowers on it. So that's what I got.
I'd also been starving my local birdies; my suet feeder was empty and I kept forgetting to buy more. Did that as well.
Speaking of birdies...a little hapai mama bird decided to make her nest in my hanging basket of geraniums. I'm pleased she felt safe there (I had fun reaching into my inner 6-year-old a few days ago when I discovered she was doing that by finding things to leave for her to use for her nest. Some she took -- like the pieces of twine -- others she didn't. She snubbed the bits of cotton).
And so -- watering that plant is a bit dicey now. I try to carefully do it from the opposite side from where her nest is, but it inevitably startles her and she flies out, cluck-chirping at me. I just hope Lady Perigrine Falcon who graced my terrace last year stays away until Mama Mia and her little family have flown the coop.
Speaking of that falcon, there's a pair of ospreys that have taken up residence by the duck pond near my house, and it's been really cool to go walking there and watch them gliding around, and to hear them calling to each other.
Their cry seems throatier than a red-tailed hawk, and osprey seem to be chattier than hawks, too. I'm not sure I've ever seen more than one hawk at a time, either.
Anyway. Below are pictures of my terrace for you all. It's been nice out there, and I've been listening to / watching planes flying overhead, heading to what's likely the Hillsboro Airshow next weekend. I've heard some oldtimey-sounding prop planes, jets (F-16 and a few F-18s) and I did get to watch a big Coast Guard helcopter whop-whistling by overhead. That was really cool!
Not much more to report. I'm sad today's my last day before I go back, but I feel nicely rested, too. Plus I only have 3 days this week, so it'll be a short week.
Above: I look down into this; my neighbor downstairs and over one apartment takes care of this. It stretches out to the right and left as well. It's even more gorgeous when all the flowers start blooming.
Above: This is to the right of the first picture.
Above: To the right as you face out. You can see one of my two chairs -- I have room for them, matching footstools, a little table in-between the chairs, all the plants AND a big gas grill!
Above: To the left as you face out. New hummingbird feeder and newly-refilled suet feeder in view!
Above: Close-up of the Zen Spot.
Above: To the left of the Zen Spot. The bamboo and palm tree (it seems to really like the weather here!) I've had for a few years; the jasmine plants (one on each side) I just added today.
Above: Another angle of the Zen Spot. Slightly longer view.
Above: A wider shot, taken from my balcony door, showing my new kapiz windchimes, and the other ones I hung along the edge.
-- H
No comments:
Post a Comment