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Spring Cat & The Last Episode of my podcast

60 Comments

Because of a busy Wednesday, I am posting one day early. Sometimes schedules must be rearranged.

Much to my astonishment, my shady front gardens, where few plants like to grow, are looking pretty darned good as my Yankee husband would say. I chalk it up to the thick layer of rich compost they received as well as to the hoses for the front that we bought last year. Watering is ever so much easier than it was when I had to haul it in buckets from around back where the spigot is. Thanks, Eliza, for the hose suggestion. This has been a dry spring, and the hose has gotten a lot of use.

Right now, white and green are the predominate colors, and in a perfect garden, there wouldn’t be so much sweet woodruff. But as I indicated in the first paragraph, the front gardens are a far sight from perfect. While it would be an exaggeration to state that I let the sweet woodruff spread at will, I do let the plant spread, and right now it’s looking mighty pretty, a froth of white that spills through the beds.

The sweet woodruff even surrounds my garden cat who serenely keeps watch over the front yard.

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Today marks the last instalment of “The Wings of Luck,” Season 1 of my podcast, Tales from the Other Green Door. In “Blood Bond,” Episode 12, Jace and Thirret deal with Donod and the imps. They also worry about their jusqua child Iris, whose supreme self-confidence is sure to bring trouble sooner or later.

There will be more stories about the elves of Portland, Maine. As I mentioned in last week’s podcast post, we plan to drop Season 2 sometime in 2022, after At Sea, Book Four in my Great Library series, is finished. Until then, all the episodes of Season 1 will be available on our Hinterlands Press website and wherever you get podcasts.

Thanks for listening! And if you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with others who might like it.

60 thoughts on “Spring Cat & The Last Episode of my podcast”

  4. It has given me GREAT joy to get a peep of your garden, Laurie. You seem to have a busy schedule ahead – a good thing, as long as you keep aside some time that is simply your own!

  7. Your front garden looks lovely. Maybe the woodruff is a good groundcover, does it flower for a long time ? Is is green untill the first frost?

    1. It does flower for a long time. and the foliage continues to look green through the summer. Can’t remember if it lasts until the first frost. I’ll keep an eye on the sweet woodruff this year and make a note of it.

  11. Your front gardens are looking wonderful! I have been meaning to see if sweet woodruff would grow in my garden. Hose pipes make watering so much easier!

    1. Thanks, Clare! In all my thirty-plus years of gardening in this yard, I have never had to worry much about watering. Shows how things have changed.

      2. Folks used to call where I live the Pacific NorthWET, but even 25 years, NW garden writer Ann Lovejoy was saying we have a modified Mediterranean climate because we often have dry weather from June through September.

  12. Your garden is looking pretty – I love sweet woodruff, both scent and texture. It makes a great ground cover.
    Glad the hose is working well for you– watering is essential and with the odd weather we’ve been having, all the more so.
    Do you have Barrenwort (Epimedium)? It is a great perennial for dry shade and comes in many varieties.

    1. That hose has been a life-saver! Again, thanks so much for the recommendation. Never really needed it until recently. Show how much things have changed, doesn’t it? I don’t have Barrenwort, but I will be putting it on the list.

  13. Congratulations on the conclusion of Season 1 …. now I can binge listen …. patience is not a great virtue of mine, and bingeing (books & podcasts) is my preferred option!!!!

    The garden is looking verdant and gorgeous – and it’s always fun to see what sleeping kitty is surrounded by!

  14. Your garden looks wonderful, so much greenery, lovely for us to see as we are almost in winter…enjoy gardening and podcasting!

  15. Sometimes the simplest plants are the most effective. We have an abundance of Queen Anne’s Lace growing in the verges around our house and here and there within the garden – I considered it a weed until we went to a plant nursery the other day and saw it being sold in pots!

  16. I have sweet woodruff in my garden under a tree and it does look lovely at this time of year. I think I see forget-me-nots there too which are also favourites of mine. I’m glad your garden is giving you pleasure and rewarding your efforts with compost and hoses.

  17. I’ll second Eliza – epimediums are some of my favourite plants. The flowers are so tiny but they are enchanting, and the heart-shaped leaves can have lovely spring colours. The sweet woodruff is lovely too, with its decorative leaves.

  19. Ooh, pretty! I love the delicate white blooms, Laurie. Have you tried Impatiens? I understand they grow quite well in shady areas and might offer a splash of color to your gardens. Just a thought.

  20. I love your garden and the beautiful flowers surrounding the cat. The leaves of sweet woodruff remind me of lupines.

    1. Thanks, Judy! Last year, during the pandemic, I was rather dispirited and somewhat neglected the gardens. But this year, I have babied them with lots of compost and water, and they have burst back into green life. Wonderful!

  22. You’re garden does look good. I invested in some watering equipment this month and it was more than worth it. Don’t worry about a perfect garden – no such thing.

  24. I am all caught up now, Laurie, and especially enjoyed your podcasts! The garden cat looks quite content among the sweet woodruff. It is a beautiful late spring in Maine!

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  28. It’s so lush and welcoming, Laurie. I’m glad you’ve sorted out a better way to water. I think the plants are charming. As for the feline in repose, she looks at peace among the greenery.

  30. Sweet woodruff is such a pretty plant it’s hard to dislike. I find it too pushy but it wins every year because it’s so lovely in bloom. I think it’s from your part of the world that the flowers are used for May wine? Although my former spouse was from Pennsylvania and he’s the one who told me about it. (He liked wine. A lot.)

    1. It is a pushy plant, and I find it does need to be held in check. However, it is absolutely lovely and I am thrilled that it will grow in my hard-to-please garden.

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