House Plants, Flowers, and Windows with Screens, Oh My! - May 14, 2022 @goldenoakfarm

On Saturday morning when I went up to do the chores at the barn, I noticed the white lilac was in full bloom. The whole yard smells deliciously of lilac.

The East lilacs are also in full bloom.

Coming back from the barn I saw the MacIntosh apple trees flowers had started to open.

MacIntosh flowers

MacIntosh buds

On the way inside I noticed how nice the West of Steps garden and the South garden were looking.

On the way back by the lilac, I had broken off 3 flowerheads to bring the scent inside. Then I made a cup of tea and sat down to enjoy it.

As I looked around I realized I could move house plants off this nice wall so it could be seen and enjoyed. I left the fern as it has done so well here.

They went on the windowseat of the roundtop window. I moved the flowering clivia there also so it could be seen. I reduced the crowding in front of other windows and put plants on the shelf. I moved the fairy back over by the back porch door. She will be going out to the New Herb garden at the end of the month.

Then I set about the real job of the day: washing windows and getting crucial screens in the windows on the second floor. I did the 2 west ones first in the old bedroom, as they were the biggest. Then I did the two bathroom windows, the smallest.

And last I did the 3 windows in this bedroom on the east side of the second floor. This will pull hot air out of the house and let cool air in. There are 2 more smaller windows I will do on Sunday while it rains. That will leave 4 large windows I will do with my window lady.

Downstairs, I put the rest of the screens in the awning windows. I had always had a screen door (waiting to be put up on left) on the bedroom to keep the cat out at night but allow the essential airflow.

I hoped to put one on my bedroom door on the first floor, but it turns out the old screen doors were 32” and the doors are now 36” to accommodate wheelchairs.

I’d asked the contractor to put the screen door up and when it would not fit, he suggested a child gate. The old cat can’t climb over it now, which is why I’d had screen doors. I knew I had one packratted away in the new attic, so I got it out and put it up.

By then it was noon and getting pretty hot and humid, so I quit for the day. A couple hours later I realized it was to rain in the night and that I had plants that had arrived I should plant. So I set them to soak for ½ hour as instructed.

Then I quickly got them in place in the South Herb garden. They are Chelone oblique, Red Turtlehead, and had come all the way from the Netherlands. I’d had a pinky/purply one in this garden, but the weeds wiped it out over the last 3 years. I could not find that color, so red it is.

I noticed the bulbs I had thought were Chiondoxa luciliae had finally opened and they were actually Ornithogalum umbellatum, Star of Bethlehem. I’ll have to change the marker and the map of the garden.

The white iris on the left in the New South garden has dozens of buds now and the giant allium on the right is opening. I love May on the farm! It’s truly the best time to visit it, as it’s so beautiful.

Later on I had gone out the back door for something and found the single surviving tulip in the East Shed garden had opened. It’s a fringed tulip but I don’t remember the variety. But it sure has hung in there.

Later still I went out to talk with the contractor about a question he had and on the way in saw the Solomon’s seal is in full bloom in the New North garden.

On Sunday I plan to do laundry while it rains and get 2 windows on the 2nd floor done and 3 in the office. That will help a lot with air flow. That will leave 25 more on the first floor to do along with the 4 remaining on the 2nd floor.